


Misbehavior

by whirlpulled



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Coming of Age, Eventual Smut, Hyuck is a rich boy, Light Angst, M/M, Mark is the cool transfer student from Canada, Mutual Pining, NCT Dream Ensemble-centric, Private School, Slow Build, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, WayV - Freeform, and somewhere in between they fall in love, like moderate slow burn, markhyuck, other kpop groups will be mentioned frequently, they all go to a private elite school
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-09-01 09:55:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20256217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whirlpulled/pseuds/whirlpulled
Summary: Mark Lee is eighteen when he is given the opportunity to enroll into South Korea’s most elite academy, however, by doing so, he faces issues beyond his imagination.As Mark dives into the world of wealth, scandal, and prestige, he refuses to succumb to the social standard - that is until he meets a certain wealthy, tan boy with dark blonde hair that lights a spark in his heart and maybe something in his pants too.





	1. On My Worst Behavior, No?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone this is my first story and I am so excited. I hope that many of you can support this story, seeing as how it does have many themes that could trigger a certain audience. I don't mean any harm and if you are strictly are against the plot and theme of the story, I suggest to stop reading in general. 
> 
> I know Mark is known to be awkward, quirky, and very much still a little boy, BUT something within me knows that boy has a dark kinky side he aint showing!!! LIKE I GOT EXTREME INSPO FROM SOLELY JUST WATCHING GO TEASERS AND his BOSS performances along with Black on Black Teasers and Chain M/V. Like Mark literally radiates power top/ bad boy top and that's the actual tea. Remember i don't mean this whole heartedly (I mean it a lot though) I really can see him being the dominant type, not the awkward goody two shoes people always portray him to be. But of course he will have character development over time. He's still a young teenager, so he has room for it ( i mean it mostly towards it in this story though).
> 
> Chapter 1 is very lengthy, but thats because i wanted to jump into Mark's life and background before fully diving into him transferring to the elite school. I know the ages have been adjusted to fit the plot and the tags, but just to clear things up Mark is seventeen, but somewhere in between the two weeks of waiting for his mom to explain herself, he turned eighteen. Donghyuck and the rest of the dreamies will be introduced in the next chapter. 
> 
> I will try my best to update weekly, but if that doesn't happen, I hope you can all be patient. 
> 
> Essentially, the school is basically another private school for the wealthy trust fund kids that live in Korea. It just so happens that they started a new program that allows only three students from either lower class or troubled backgrounds attend the school on a scholarship funded by the donators of the school. It's sort of like a charity case to make the school look better, but coincidently around the time where Mark starts acting up so yea. Hope that clears up a few more things. Enjoy the story.
> 
> p.s. during the party scenes i listened to worst behavior by drake akekekeke ok that's all lmao.

Mark Lee was just thirteen years old when his parents sat him down for the talk that became more and more apparent as the years went by. Long story short, Mark’s parents were getting a divorce, and it sucked. _Okay, it really fucking sucked._ Becoming a teenager was already horrible as it is. Voice cracks, growth spurts, and bad hygiene. To top it off, a divorce? Mark knew his parents weren’t always in the best positions with one another, but a divorce? _You have gotta be shitting me_

To say Mark became a handful as his teenage years progressed was a huge understatement. He was a force to be reckoned with. The boy was quick to mix with the wrong crowd. It’s not like Mark intended to skip school with his new (troublesome) friends, in which he collected over time. It’s not like Mark had the intentions of getting high, downstairs, in Daniel Kang’s basement. It wasn’t the goal to sneak out every other night to meet up with his Canadian friends and go cruising while drunk. It wasn’t like Mark planned to lose his virginity, at the age of sixteen, to the very popular sophomore class president, Yeri Kim. It just sort of happened, almost too easily. Almost too naturally. It wasn’t that he was a bad kid, he just simply grew out of his teacher’s pet and goody-two-shoes phase. 

Although Mark would never admit it, the separation of his parents took an intense toll over him. Switching from house to house, neighborhood to neighborhood, room to room, every other weekend became exhausting. Maybe, just maybe, the divorce was the driving force that led Mark to become curious of other things that seemed taboo to today’s society.

“Yo, Mark. You coming tonight?” a voice, almost too cheerful, called out to him.

First period started in fifteen minutes and Mark often refused to have a conversation with anyone at 7:15 AM. And yet he turned anyway, one backpack strap clinging to dear life over his broad shoulder, the other simply dangling. He knew this voice all too well. 

“Tonight?” He questioned, brows furrowed. 

“Yea dude, the huge party that’s going down at Jungkook’s place tonight. Word is, his parents are out of town for the weekend. It’ll be the first and biggest party to kick off the first week of senior year, man! **Pleaseeee** tell me you’re game.” Daniel pleaded almost out of breath and evidently, excitedly. 

“Uhh, not sure about that yet. My parents are still on my ass about sneaking out last week with the guys. I’m really, not exactly, on the greatest terms with them at the moment, Daniel.” Mark could feel the air tense up for a second, but leave it to Daniel, “The Fucking Life of the Party” Kang, to ease Mark’s apprehensions. 

Daniel sighed deeply, putting an arm over the dark haired boy. “C’mon Mark, you and I both know this party is gonna be the highlight of the school year. First week of school finished, no shitty tests to worry about at the moment, it’s not like you’re working either. What else would you do on a Friday night? Yeri and Joy will be there. When was the last time you got laid?”

Mark rolled his eyes, scoffed, and offered a smirk.

“It was last week, for your information. And I’ve said this many times before, idiot. Joy was just a fling, and with Yeri, things were just always a complicated mess. She always wanted things to be official, but you kno-”

“Yes, we know. The Mark Lee isn’t into labels. Or whatever that means, don’t you ever want to get cuffed, you sad fuck?” Daniel retorted playfully.

“Why should I? So I can get into some shitty relationship, then eventually bind myself to a shittier marriage, and go through the shittiest divorce? Yeah, no thanks. Seen it happen with my parents and let’s just say, I’m not exactly impressed. Hate to break it to you Daniel, but not all relationships are like yours and Jihyo’s.” 

The bell rang, signaling that the two boys had one minute to get to class.

“So, we’ll pick you up at 10?” Daniel winked, as he began jogging further and further away from the shorter boy.

“Do I have a choice?” Mark sighed.

“There’s the Marky Lee we all know and love, say hi to your mom for me, would ya?”

And then the tall boy disappeared behind the school’s front doors.

“Jungkook, this better be one fucking hell of a party,” Mark whispered to himself, almost something similar to a prayer. His grip over his backpack strap tightening, jaw clenched, tense.

***

“Mark. Mark. Mark?” 

Mark looked up from his dinner plate, spaced out, and obviously disinterested in the conversation his mom and her boyfriend had previously talked about.

“Sorry, what?”

“I asked how was school?” She looked at her son expectedly. Almost afraid to hear his answer.

“Oh, right. It was okay, I guess…” Mark stated, a dull tone in his voice.

His mom released a sigh. “Oh, thank God. By the mood you’ve presented all noon, I assumed some things made a turn for the worst. Although, that maybe would’ve been a wrong assumption, seeing as I haven’t received a call from the school, yet.”

_That’s right, **yet**._

“Actually, Daniel invited me to go bowling with a couple of friends of ours. That’s fine, right? I can go, right? Daniel says hi, by the way.”

Mark’s mom turned to Steve and whispered something in his ear. Before Mark could interrupt the pair, Steve sent him a shrug and a sympathetic smile as he got up and headed towards the living room, dropping the neatly decorated plate into the sink before exiting the dining room. 

“Mark, you know, as a mother, I want you to have fun and I want you to have friends,”

_Of course, excuses, excuses.___

_ __ _

_ __ _

“But, it’s hard to give you permission to go out and do things when we both know you may not be telling me the truth.” 

“Who says I’m lying?”

“Mark,” His mom looking at home with a knowing face. 

“Why can’t you just be honest with me? I’m your mother for Christ’s sake. I once was a teenager too. A rebellious one at that. Look, you lied to Steve and I about your whereabouts last week. You claimed you and Daniel were going out to watch The Lion King at six o’clock, but you didn’t come home until two o’clock in the morning. You and I both know that movie was not eight hours long.” 

“We did go watch The Lion King… amongst other things,” Mark only barely managed to slip the last part in, unnoticed and quietly.

“And last time I checked, Steve isn’t my dad. I’m not obligated to tell him anything. And you know that.” He spat out abruptly, almost too aggressively.

“Mark, I know the divorce has been hard on you. It’s been hard for your father and I, as well. Please, just, try to work with me. I am not the enemy.”

In all of his (almost) eighteen years of living, Mark never wished to be harsh on anyone. Especially his own mother, but times were tough when you needed both parental figures in your life, and yet, being in the same room only caused more tension between the two parties. Mark envied the kids who had both parents together. 

Sure, it may have been the healthiest choice to separate, but was Mark’s feelings ever brought forth to the discussion. Did his happiness not matter? Often times, he found himself wondering, daydreaming, would things be different if his parents stayed together. Would he still be the same Mark he was today? Would he still be friends with Daniel? Would he have gotten suspended for skipping with Jiwon and Hanbin and smoking pot at a nearby park? Would he have continued to be the straight A, golden boy, his parents tried to raise him to be? Maybe. Maybe not. What’s done is done.

If there was one thing Mark learned from this life, is that dwelling in the past would only corrupt the momentum, the pace, the authenticity of any experience in the now. Mark appreciated the now because the now appreciated him back. Not the past, nor the future. So if sneaking out would have consequences, so be it. There was no changing his mother’s mind. There was no need to go back into the past and approach the situation in a different manner. There was no need to think too carefully about the repercussions of betraying his parents trust. _After all, they were experts at betraying mine_. And it seemed, for a long time, that Mark was the only one who viewed it that way.

“Im full.” Mark stood from his chair, tucked it underneath the dining room table, and headed to his room. Someday, maybe Mark would understand where his parents were coming from. But of course, today, wasn’t that day.

***

Mark made sure everyone was asleep when he called Daniel to come and pick him up. This was not the first, and was surely not the last time Mark would sneak out with his friends. You’d think his mother would know by now to stay up longer, but no, she hoped and hoped her son would learn from his mistakes. She was a woman with too much faith. Too much faith within her only son, and in any other circumstances, Mark would feel terrible about his actions. But tonight was something he needed to blow off some steam. 

Jungkook’s place was a huge mess once Mark and his friends pulled up to the largely extended driveway. The two story house was huge, almost mansion-like. _The fuck is this kid doing at a public school?_ Mark could recognize some of his peers spread all over the house and the front yard. Red cups within their palms. Some passing around and smoking blunts on the porch, all lazing around, giggling with red glazed eyes.

“So glad you guys could make it.” 

“Nice house.” Mark commented. Flashing an impressive look in Jungkook’s direction.

The boy was dressed in all black with a flash of red kicks. He had a cap on and an arm over some boy Mark had Calculus with. _Was it Taehee? Taehyun? No. Taehyung. It was definitely Taehyung,_ Mark recalled. 

“Thanks. Too bad the cleaning unit will have a hard time getting out Dahyun’s vomit stains off the walls.” Jungkook replied casually.

“Alright, well, I’m sure you guys know the rules. If you’re gonna get it in tonight, you know my room will be occupied,” Jungkook planted a peck on Taehyung’s neck. The other boy let out a soft gasp in return. 

Daniel leaned over to Mark, disgusted, “Do they realize we’re still even here?”

Mark chuckled, “Don’t know Daniel, I ask myself the same thing when hanging out with you and Jihyo.” 

Jungkook finally continued his sentence after leaving a trail of kisses down Taehyung’s neck.

“And my parent’s room is absolutely off limits, spread the word. Other than that, everything is fair game. Enjoy the party!” 

And with that Jungkook and Taehyung headed back inside.

“So no one’s gonna bring up the fact that Jungkook literally lives in a nice ass house and is still attending public school?” Daehwi asked, confusion printed all over his face.

“The boy’s a mystery, I heard he transferred over from one of South Korea’s most prestigious elite schools.” Guanlin chimed in.

“It’s called The Academy of Neo Culture Technology. C’mon guys do your research.” Jisung added. 

“Makes no sense as to why he’d dump such an elite school and transfer to a public school setting.” Seongwoo questioned.

“When you have that type of money, it doesn’t matter where you get your education from. Universities will take you in for your family name, not your talent or work ethic.” Jinyoung pointed out.

Sungwoon, Jihoon, Minhyun, Woojin, and Jaehwan all grumbled in agreement.

_Neo Culture Technology Academy? What pretentious assholes. What’s so great about the pompous pricks that attend the school anyway?_

“Well, im off to find Jihyo. We meet back here around 3 AM.” Daniel said before drifting off into a crowd of drunk and high teenagers. And with that, the rest of the boys dispersed. 

***

Mark entered through the gate that led to the backyard. He looked around eyeing his surroundings. Mark fixed his denim jacket over his black hoodie and made sure his chain was safely tucked between his chest and his hoodie. It was the last gift he received from both of his parents on his thirteenth birthday, before the split happened. Mark was never an emotional person, but the boy was extremely, emotionally attached to the golden jewellery. All hell would break loose if his chain ever got into the wrong hands.

“Mark!”

Mark slightly cringed as he heard the high pitched voice call out his name in excitement.

“Yeri, what’s up?” 

“I just thought I’d stop by and say hey. After all, we are _friends_, right?” The blonde said in a seductive tone that sent a shiver down Mark’s spine. Blunt heavily secured between her index and middle finger.

Don’t get Mark wrong, Yeri was hot. _Alright, she was very hot_. But that was it. Yes, she had brains that came with a pretty face, but it was all physical. Call Mark odd, if you may, but the two just didn’t connect. Yeri was a friend, sometimes more than that, but she just wasn’t Mark’s ideal type, the type he could see himself settling with. She was light years away from that, but even Mark couldn’t deny she gave good head. 

“Do you fuck all your friends, Yeri?” Mark said nonchalantly, as he leaned against the wall grabbing the nearest drink he could find. 

Mark chugged the rest of his drink.

Yeri stepped closer, gradually closing the proximity between the two.

“Only the ones I like...” She giggled grabbing Mark by the collar.

“Right… does that mean I’m not the only one?” He questioned, shooting her a an unamused look.

“Of course, but you’re probably the only one I’d considered being official with...” Yeri said, leaving a hot trail of open mouthed kisses on Mark’s neck. Eventually finding a spot near his adam’s apple to suck on. 

Mark placed the empty cup down and took the long forgotten blunt from Yeri’s hand and took a few hits, closing his eyes in the process. He placed his other hand on her small waist.

“Official?” He scoffed, clearly disinterested over the topic. Although, surprisingly, something in Mark’s pants became more than interested in moving this party upstairs. 

He took one last big hit before lightly shoving Yeri away and throwing the bud to the ground, smothering it against the concrete right after. 

“Let’s head inside?” Mark suggested.

And Yeri fully complied to the request, with a mischievous grin painted over her face.

***

“Shit.” Mark groaned as Yeri bit down on his collarbone.

Mark grabbed her by the roots of her brightly blonde locks up for a sloppy kiss. He could feel her tongue slight probing at the entrance of his mouth. With drunk and high consent, Mark opened up his mouth to let Yeri’s tongue explore. Mark heard a small moan slip from her lips and continued to lap his tongue against her own. Mark made a sour face at the bitter taste of the cigar she was smoking earlier. He was sure she could taste the same. Making out would have to wait.

Yeri eagerly pushed Mark down onto the edge of the bed and fell onto her knees, right in between Mark’s legs. She stared at him patiently, waiting for him to sit up, waiting for some type of response and Mark nodded back. Yeri licked her lips sensually at him. This was all too familiar.

“Feels like it was just yesterday, when I sucked you off in the boy’s locker rooms.” Yeri stated, working to unbuckle Mark’s belt.

“Junior year was really something, wasn’t it?” Mark responded, tucking a strand of hair behind Yeri’s ear. She began to tug on Mark’s black ripped jeans until they were fully left alone down to his ankles. 

She stared at Mark, straight in the eyes, and began palming his hard and heavy cock through his briefs. Mark let out soft groans in return, only fueling Yeri’s desire to fuck him.

“You know, it could always be like this…” She trailed on.

“Yeri, this isn’t exactly the conversation to be having,” Mark let out a low gasp.

“At the moment.” He continued, gripping the sheets as he felt Yeri slowly pulling his briefs down

“And why’s that, Mar-”

Yeri froze, and then stood abruptly looking through the window, only to see cop cars parked outside in front of Jungkook’s lawn.

“Shit, it’s the cops!” They heard someone say on the other side of the door, from the dimly lit hallway.

Mark quickly fumbled with the buttons of his jeans and the holes of his belt. Mark could see in his peripheral vision a very panicked Yeri. This was a new side he witnessed her in. A state of vulnerability. Almost cute and innocent as if a few seconds ago she wasn’t about to give Mark a blowjob. 

“What’s wrong?” Mark asked confused, dragging her out of the room.

“I’m Senior Class President, Mark. If I get caught, I’ll lose my position. Do you know how bad that looks on paper? No college would accept me. My parents are gonna kill me.” She rushed, obviously frightened by the idea.

“Look, we’ll be fine just stay close after me. We won’t get caught.” Mark sent a quick little prayer as they ran down the halls and into the backyard, only barely escaping as the police began to raid the place. Mark sighed and sent a quick thank you to the man up above. He was never a religious person, but he supposed it was the polite thing to do. _Right?_

***

Mark insisted on walking Yeri home, it was two in the morning and it’s not like it was the safest thing for an eighteen year old girl to roam the streets at night, let alone, by herself. It was the ethical thing to do. And she was very grateful for it. Yeri pecked Mark on the lips before they parted ways. _Hopefully she doesn’t think we’re a thing just because I was a good guy to her. Mark hoped that was the case._ Jumping into a relationship was not one of his priorities.

Once Mark reached the familiar streets that led to his home, he could see that his porch light was on and vibrant. _Was it on before I left?_ He shrugged it off, maybe he was just paranoid. 

As Mark stealthy entered through his bedroom window, he heard a knock on his door. _Fuck, so close_, he thought.

“Where have you been?” His mother asked calmly. Almost too calmly, but Mark was no fool, he saw the stiffness in her posture. She was probably trying her hardest not to lash out. And for that alone, Mark was grateful. If he thought this was all he was going to receive, he had another thing coming. This was far from that. He could tell, just by the intense gaze his mother lasered him down with. He almost could’ve sworn he saw a vein pop out from her forehead. She was livid.

“You know what, I don’t even want to know. I can just smell the weed and alcohol on you. How stupid do you think I am, Mark? I wanted to trust you, but you do the same thing time after time. You lie, you sneak out, and it’s like you don’t care!” She yelled. Mark could see his mother’s eyes start to swell up with tears. 

“I’m over here thinking you’re safe and sound in your bed, but what happens when something terrible occurs and is heading your way, Mark? I can’t protect you. I can’t take care of you. You could end up hurt and I wouldn’t even know. Do you realize what you’re doing? What kind of path you’re straying down? Do you even notice it?”

Mark stayed silent. What was he supposed to say? She was right. He could’ve gotten hurt and could’ve gotten into some serious trouble. Mark never put much thought into it and seeing as how things panned out, it seemed as if it was already too late to do so anyways. _I’d better stay quiet._

“You’ve learned absolutely **nothing**. I am so disappointed in you, Mark. I tried to give you chance after chance, but now you’ve left me with no choice.”

_What was that supposed to mean?_

***

For a couple weeks, Mark still questioned what his mother meant by that. _She had no choice?_It wasn’t until he saw his father sitting on the couch looking through some brochures. His father noticed his son enter the living room. Right on cue, his mom appeared from the kitchen looking at him with a blank face, Mark only managed to see her gaze softened for a second until they went back to the same blank expression she held initially.__

_ __ _

_ __ _

“Dad, I’m not supposed to come over to your house until next week…” Mark said, almost in a questionable manner.

“I know, Mark. But this isn’t about that. Your mother and I have been talking and we both have come to an agreement that you’ve been acting up recently. A lot more than usual. Your mother and I believed it was just a phase, but just know we’re doing this because we love and care for you. You understand that right?” 

“What are you trying to say?”

Silence. Absolute fucking silence.

“Your mother and I,” Mark’s father gestured his hand back and forth towards his mother and himself twice. “Have decided to send you off to your grandparents for the remainder of your senior year.” 

_Wait, what the actual fuck?!_

“They live in Korea, I’m not going anywhere.” Mark snorted.

“Actually, son, your plane leaves in two days. Look, to be fair, we tried so hard to be patient with you. We know it’s been hard and all to deal with your mother and I separating, so we wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. It’s just, you’re not getting better and at this rate, we just care about your well-being and your future. Your mother even took it upon herself to apply and enroll you into that Neo Culture Technology Academy. It was a miracle that they took your mother’s late submission, and even more of a miracle that you were hand picked out of hundreds of thousands of applicants. Please don’t waste this opportunity to become better. You’re getting the chance to start over again, reinvent yourself, and make some new friends even. Of course, the school is made up of wealthy students, with the exception of you and a couple of other lucky scholarship students, but don’t let that intimidate you, Mark.” His dad finally let out a sigh as he looked at his only son’s face. 

“It’ll be great, I promise you. You’ll never get to experience anything like this, ever. This is what’s best.” His mother stayed silent and for once, Mark wished she yelled, or said anything for that matter, but no, the damage was done.

They were right, this would be a once in a lifetime experience, but was it Mark’s for the taking? _Hell no._ He got up and headed straight to his room, leaving a trail of heavy footsteps. As if he’d ever get chummy with the higher up pricks at this overrated money hungry excuse of a school. 

Mark was too good for that. And he was sure that the trust fund kids at the school thought the same towards him. But, man, was that **far** from the actual truth.


	2. You Can Hate Me, I Don’t Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark's first day at The Academy of Neo Culture Technology and he meets too many people for his liking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL I said I would update weekly, but then school started and I completely had no time or inspo to carry on. Anyways, I am back with an update that took me FOREVER to get started. I hope you enjoy what I've crafted. I plan on letting side pairings shine in this story, but for right now Im too busy trying to lay the foundation of Markhyucks relationship. If some of ya'll not down with it, then skip the side pairings scenes in the future. I plan to leave a short summary at the end of the chapter to let you know what you skipped over if I deem it pertinent to the plot line. Anways, keep in mind this my first story so this is all very new to me. I've never been one to tell stories, let alone write them from a fictional character. I am still learning!!! I may be trash now, but with time, I know I can grow and be the author you guys deserve and serve some quality content you guys deserve to read. All I ask is for patience. I plan to update on the weekends, but if it doesnt happen, just know I AM NOT QUITTING, sometimes life happens, ya feel. Okay, im done ranting, Enjoy the chap! -m :-)
> 
> P.S. uniform inspired was taken from the kdrama Heirs.

Two words. _Culture. Shock._

The last time Mark had visited his (maternal) grandparents, in South Korea, was when he was only nine years old. It had almost reached ten years since he had last stepped on the foreign, yet oddly familiar, grounds that would become his new home for the next nine to ten months. It was safe to say that Mark had finally done it. _I actually pushed them to the edge._

_Am I really getting out of control?_

Mark, indeed, did feel some emotions similar to guilt toward the events over the past few days. Some part of him screamed internally, wishing that his parents would just see that he was unhappy. It’s not like Mark begged to the Gods to be this way. Mark despised being this way. He absolutely hated confrontation, especially when it came to his parents. It tore him up, inside and out, to see the disappointed stares from both figures. His conscience was, for the most part, in tact, so why was it so hard to just listen? Mark never really understood.

Was it worth the effort to change? If, even after all of these years, he had pushed for it endlessly, only to be let down time after time. Mark was stubborn, sure, but he was never the type to take advantage of others. He wasn’t the type to bully, nor the type to be rude for no reason. Mark was a good kid and he frequently tried to remind himself of that. 

So was it time to turn over a new leaf?

In complete honesty, Mark wasn’t even sure of that himself.

“Minhyung, you’ve grown so much!” 

Mark bowed to his elders, seeing as it was the appropriate thing to do in his heritage. For someone in their late fifties, his grandmother didn’t look a day over thirty-five. She wore light, vibrant colored fabrics to compliment her pale skin. His grandfather, however, looked as if the decades of working had finally caught up to him, dressed in more monotone hues. Mark appreciated how both his grandparents were completely different people, but still managed to stay together for thirty years. Maybe his parents could learn a thing or two. Nonetheless, he smiled.

“It’s been a while, I suppose I have.” He said as he was pulled into a hug.

“Well then, let’s head home. Shall we?” Mark’s grandmother said in a warm tone, Mark’s grandfather tailing after his wife and grandson, luggages at hand. 

***

Mark plopped down towards the end of the guest bed. The room was empty, with only a few exceptions of dust bunnies at every other corner, a bed, a desk and chair, and an empty closet. The walls were colored a dark shade of blue. The house itself was nothing glamorous, but held sentimental value. It was homey and cozy. The neighborhood was safe and low in crime rate. If Mark didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought he was on an episode of The Brady Bunch rather than Seoul. 

His grandmother peeped her head inside his room, flashing him a small smile.

“Do you like the room? I painted it last week! Your grandpa said why bother since you’re all grown up and it’s not like kids at your age have an eye for interior design or anything, but I just thought you’d might appreciate it. White walls are elegant, but it can get a bit boring.”

“The room is lovely, thank you grandma.” And he was thankful. Mark couldn’t remember the last time someone had considered his feelings, or for that matter, at all.

“Well, I just wanted to say a few things,” She changed the topic while helping Mark unpack his clothes. 

“I know you’re going through a lot and it may feel like your world is crumbling and there’s not really anyone who thoroughly understands you, but you have to realize that… we can’t help you if you don’t open up to us, Minhyung.” His grandmother said in a rush, already having put four shirts on hangers and away into the closet.

“Your parents… they’re just worried about you. The last thing we want is to see you get hurt. Many people live in regret, wishing for another chance to improve, and when they realize that…it’s already too late. And after...they just get even worse from there.”

She turned to look at her only grandson, moving across the room to take a seat next to him. She looked him in the eye and offered a grin, placing her hand over his.

“You could achieve great things. You have potential. Please take this opportunity seriously. This may only count if you allow it to. We all just want to see you succeed.” 

Mark could understand that. And he more than certainly could pick up the genuineness in her eyes. The way she spoke, the way she executed her words, he could tell she was just worried. They all were.

She stood up, heading towards the door, then stopped and stared at him.

“Once you’ve settled in, we’ll be heading over to the school to pick up your schedule.” 

Should he feel nervous? Maybe excited? Possibly anxious? 

Actually, Mark felt none of the above. He nearly felt nothing towards it. He viewed it as another first day of school, except it’s the second week and he’s already missing Monday classes. Sure he didn’t really know what to expect, but it’s not like there was much to anyways, right?

***

“So these are the uniforms you will be wearing from now on,” A lady at the front desk handed Mark a neatly folded stack that consisted of navy blue blazers, (white) long sleeved button ups, baby and navy blue striped ties, and some khaki slacks. 

“And here is your schedule. I guess we will see you tomorrow, Mark Lee. Welcome to the Academy of Neo Culture Technology.” The receptionist said in a way that reminded Mark of a robot. 

“Right, um, thank you.” Mark said as he reached for the exit door.

Weird.

Before Mark could navigate his way back to the parking lot to meet his grandmother, he was abruptly bumped into by an unknown stranger. Mark lost grip of his articles of clothing and, in a chaotic manner, they fell onto the concrete. His eyes met with black and off white checkered vans that looked semi worn out. Mark ran his eyes upward as he traced the outline of the unfamiliar boy. He had obnoxious platinum locks, his hair falling a little under his dark eyebrows. 

“Oh my God, I am so sorry! Hey, you alright?” The boy said, waving his hand back and forth, a little too close to Mark’s face. 

“Here, let me give you a hand.”

Without waiting for a response, the blonde stranger extended his arm in an attempt to pull Mark from his now sore ass. 

“Uh, thanks.” 

“I’m Lee Jeno,” The taller spoke, an eye smile now engraved onto his face. His hand was firm yet soft. His features were sharp and yet his aura was warm. Lee Jeno was a walking paradox. A pleasant one, at that. A pleasant paradox with unpleasant timing. 

Mark grimaced as he applied small pressure over his lower back with his left hand. The other still in contact with Jeno’s. 

“Mark, Mark Lee.” 

“Mark? You’re not from around here, are you? Of course you’re not, that name’s foreign. Where are you from? The states?” Jeno squeaked cheerfully.

“Uh, close enough. I’m from Canada.”

“Sweet! I'm from Incheon! Not too far, but I can’t help, but feel homesick. Are you new?” 

If Mark hadn’t known any better, he’d think that Lee Jeno was the human form of a puppy dog, maybe a beagle?

“Yea, I start tomorrow actually.” 

“So do I-are you here on the Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship?” Jeno said, his stare targeted at Mark, only intensifying with sheer curiosity at every passing second. The platinum blonde urged closer to Mark. _Does this kid know the definition of personal space?_

“Yea, I am actually. Does that you surprise you?” 

“No, you have an exotic look to you, you stick out, but in a good way. I like it!” Jeno wiggled his eyebrows as he craned his neck closer to Mark’s face, raising both his hands to the sides of his face, giving a thumbs up. His recurring eye smile forming again.

“I’m here on the scholarship too! I was just about to head to pick up my things for tomorrow. Oh that’s right-“

Jeno looked down eyeing the clothes splattered all over the ground. He quickly gathered the articles of clothing into a decent pile and offered it back to the brunette boy. 

“So, I guess this makes us friends?” Jeno asked, smile still present. _His cheeks gotta hurt by now._

“Sure... I guess it does.” Mark could feel the corner of his lips twitch in genuine admiration. Jeno was a peculiar one. Too pure and too innocent for his own good. He questioned how easy it was to be comfortable with the taller and yet he couldn’t help, but want to look out for the other. Mark never had a brother, although, to be fair, his parents made it very clear that they were in no rush to have another kid. 

“Well I should probably head inside. It was really nice meeting you Mark! I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Jeno shouted, sending small hearts with both thumbs and index fingers crossed, eventually paying Mark a goodbye with a simple wave as he approached the front doors. 

For a split second, Mark was somewhat intrigued for what the next day had in store. 

***

There was a light tapping of a shoe that utterly irked Mark to his core. He waited, seated in the front office waiting to be properly introduced to the principal. His grandmother emphasized the importance of being on time and early. Mark patiently continued to wait for what seemed like an eternity on the velvety plush chair until he heard the hinges of the door creak. The sound resonating within the highly hushed office.

The front desk woman stood up and greeted the student. From what Mark saw, the boy had chestnut brown hair, his skin was fair and he had dark brown eyes. He was wearing the academy's uniform, the tie nicely ironed, creases absent from his navy blazer and white button up. He stood tall and lean, although he was only slightly shorter than Mark. 

Mark caught a glimpse at the said boy’s school name tag. _Renjun. Maybe he’s not from here either?_

Renjun strutted pristinely toward the waiting seats, skipping a seat from the right of Mark, leaving a small gap between the two. 

Mark sighed, maybe this was the last scholarship student he hadn’t met yet. He debated for a few minutes. He questioned if it would be more awkward to let the silence swallow them into non existence or to simply just introduce himself. Mark chose the latter and he swiftly turned his body to face Renjun and held his hand out. A signal showcasing his friendliness. 

“I’m Mark Lee, and you are?” Mark swallowed hard. If Renjun felt second hand embarrassment toward their interaction, Mark wouldn’t have blamed him. He spoke with urgency and eagerness. He cringed at the speculation and made it clear to himself that he would mentally slap himself for overthinking this whole introduction. 

Renjun remained composed and focused his attention towards the other. He let out a small chuckle in response and averted his eyes from Mark’s to guide the others eyes to his name tag. 

“Huang Renjun.” 

Mark retrieved his hand back and scratched at the side of his head. He let out an awkward cough and nodded back at Renjun in acknowledgement. Alas, silence befell upon the two boys and all that was heard was the ringing of telephones, the thick blunt blowing of the air vent, and the hushed chatter between the student aides. 

Mark admired the way Renjun remained his upright posture against the chair. At first sight, his peer’s aura resembled one of a celestial, evangelical presence with the way he carried and presented himself. The way he spoke with such leisure and self confidence, Renjun screamed of prestige. 

_He must be intelligent. He seems way too far from being a nuisance to a bug, let alone society._

“What happened to your tie?”

Mark cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at Renjun. 

“I’m sorry?” 

Renjun pointed to his own tie and tapped against the striped cloth twice. 

“Your tie. You’re not wearing it”

“Oh, right … I couldn’t figure out how to tie it.” Mark could begin to feel his face heat up in embarrassment. 

He reached for his backpack in an attempt to look for the accessory. Mark fumbled with his belongings from his bag until he finally found what he needed. He showed Renjun and smiled sheepishly. 

For some odd reason, Mark felt like he had something to prove to his classmate. Prove his capability and reliability. He wanted to show that he could match the Renjun’s superiority and elegance. It wasn’t unheard of to want to impress one for the sake of admiration a person could hold for the other. Mark didn’t know the boy, but he could tell that he would go on in life to accomplish great things. Of course he couldn’t make it seem like he was a lesser counterpart. 

“Do you mind if I... y’know…” Renjun trailed off as he stood up and motioned the taller to do the same. 

Mark simultaneously caught on to what Renjun was suggesting. 

“No, I don’t. Go right ahead, thanks.” Mark stood abruptly, wiping his now somewhat sweaty palms against his khaki slacks. 

Renjun was almost finished tying Mark’s tie when they both were startled by the clicking of the door knob. 

“Mark!” 

Jeno was wearing the same uniform as the boys, but unlike the rest, his buttoned shirt was fully unbuttoned, revealing a Maroon 5 shirt underneath on full display. Mark noticed his hair was styled differently. It was parted down the center and it helped accentuate the boys features a bit better. Mark noticed that beauty mark at the corner, underneath his right eye. _Had it always been there?_

“Hey.” Mark waved back as Jeno began to approach both his classmates. 

“Oh, who’s this?”

“I’m Renjun.” Renjun interjected with a polite smile and held out his hand to Jeno. 

Jeno, quickly, reciprocated the gesture and paid Renjun a cheerful grin, his eyes forming into moon crescents in the process. 

“Lee Jeno! It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

Renjun let out a snippet of laughter at the boys child like behavior. It was obvious Jeno could make anyone’s heart swell with his antics. 

“I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything. You guys know each other?” The blonde questioned as he pointed back and forth between Mark and Renjun. 

“We just met actually.” Mark stated.

“I see…So Renjun, where are you from? Mark’s from Canada and I’m from Incheon.” Jeno asked bluntly as he took the seat that originally left the gap between the two other scholarship recipients.

“I’m from Jilin, China. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one far from home.” Renjun answered casually as he took the seat from the right of Jeno. Mark followed suit and sat to the left of both boys, leaving Jeno at the center. 

“It’s nice to know that I won’t be entering this school alone. Seriously though, rich people are scary. One day you’re just eating ice cream, till it spills on one of the most powerful family’s son and then the next, you’re getting strung around the issues of the higher ups. Isn’t that crazy?” 

Renjun narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows in confusion. 

“I'm pretty sure you’re thinking of Boys Over Flowers, Jeno. Kind of unrealistic if you ask me.” Mark snorted. 

“Still, it could happen, Mark. Never say never.” Jeno pointed out and Renjun disagreed with a roll of his eyes. 

“So what’s your story, guys?” Jeno asked, changing the topic.

“What do you mean?” Renjun responded softly. 

“I mean how did you get here, what’s the reason.”

“Well, I applied myself. The school I was attending prior to coming here informed everyone of the opportunity. Applying was a voluntary thing if you met the requirements. I don’t come from the wealthiest background, but I assume my academic resume was impressive enough to get me here.” Renjun answered humbly.

“Wow, I just sent in a video of me playing the violin along with my application. I planned to try out for the baseball team and school orchestra if I was accepted. I also don’t come from a wealthy background.” 

Jeno spun and gazed at Mark waiting for a response. Renjun also displayed his curiosity. 

Mark huffed out in distress. If he chose the wrong words, they would think less of him. Mark was not a bad kid, he just made bad choices. How else was he supposed to justify his right in being here? 

Mark cleared his throat and slouched a little lower in his chair. 

“There’s not much to say, really. I made some bad choices and I guess now I’m here.” He shot his words out like spitfire. 

It was definitely awkward now. _How fucking perfect._

“Well they must’ve seen something in you if they chose you. So maybe it’s not as simple as you think. Maybe there is more to it.” Renjun broke the silence and Jeno hummed in agreement.

Mark wouldn’t dare lie, although he was unsure of how his day would turn out, that he was actually enjoying himself. Jeno and Renjun were strangers to Mark and somehow they had managed to make him feel a sense of home. They were kind to him and for no reason at all. Both differed from one another in extreme ways and yet here they were, working together well to uplift Mark’s spirits. 

“I guess so.” Mark let out the breath he held pent up and released it. _Was this what relief felt like?_

Jeno took in another breath of air and was ready to extract another discussion from within until they heard the clicking of heels in their direction. A woman wavering just above them. 

“Boys, Principal Kang will see now.” 

***

“Have a seat boys! I promise, I don’t bite.”

Renjun was the first to take a seat at the edge, Jeno sitting at the other end, leaving the middle to Mark. 

“I’m excited to welcome you all to The Academy of Neo Culture Technology. As your principal, I make it my job to look out for all of my students. Consider yourselves my top priority. After all, a great principal puts effort into making a difference within their student’s lives. It would be an honor.” 

Mark gagged, who was this guy fooling? It was obvious the man was forced into this. The only reason they installed the Leaders of Tomorrow program was to pay it off as another charity case to show off to the public and remind them just how exactly the higher ups were being generous toward the needy. Just a bunch of selfish wealthy men and women caring for their own image and Principal Kang was only a pawn apart of their games. Mark took a good look at the man. Principal Kang was mildly overweight. He wore specs that covered his eyes greatly, but anyone could guess they were probably brown. He had gray strands poking at the roots of his black hair, he had to be in his late forties, at least. He wore a dark gray suit, a red tie, and black oxfords. 

“We take pride in our student body and what they contribute to our school. I’m sure you will all fit in quite well with the others. We wouldn’t want to gain any unwanted and unnecessary attention now, would we?” Principal Kang dragged on as he finished with an underlying sinister smile in place. 

_Is this allowed?_

“Right.” Jeno and Renjun confirmed in unison. Mark stayed quiet, however. There was no way he would make any promises he couldn’t keep. It would only end badly if he did. 

There was a sudden knock at the door and Principal Kang sent a small “Come in.” 

A male student with silver hair stepped into the room. His was hair parted down to the left side. He was lanky and only slightly taller than Mark. The student flashed a bright smile at their principal and bowed respectfully. He stood proud and tall. His chin high and his broad shoulders back, his hands hibernating within the pockets of his slacks.

“Ah, Na Jaemin, how is our Senior Student Body President these days?” Principal Kang smiled.

Na Jaemin sent a toothy grin back. Mark hadn’t missed the way Jeno was staring at the lean male. If Mark was seeing things correctly, he could’ve sworn he saw Jeno’s eyes twinkle in awe. Is this guy for real? Mark scoffed and looked over to Renjun for confidence, but was surprised to see Renjun equally staring down Jaemin, only with an intense calculating gaze instead. Was Mark missing something? Was this Na Jaemin a walking God? He had no idea but from the looks of everything, maybe he was? Mark didn’t fucking know, don’t ask him.

“Well and I hope to hear that you are too, Principal Kang!” Jaemin held up a “Hwaiting” pose and Mark cringed as he heard the older man let out an obnoxious fit of laughter. 

“Yes, of course.” He cleared his throat and continued. 

“Jaemin, I’d like you to meet our three transfer scholarship students. This is Mark Lee,”

“What’s up.” Mark raised his hand next to his head. Sending a crooked smile to Jaemin. Jaemin waved in return. 

“This is Huang Renjun,” 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Renjun said offering his hand to shake. 

Jaemin took it quickly and held onto Renjun’s hand a little longer than needed (according to Mark). 

“And this is Lee Jeno.” 

Jaemin placed his eyes on Jeno. Jeno nodded his head in an attempt to say hello, averting his eyes from making contact with the other. Jaemin nodded back with a smirk. His eyes lingering a little too long on the blonde, leaving Jeno to shrink in his seat even more to hide his blushing face. 

Mark rolled his eyes. _This is so gross, he’s like some type of hotshot fuckboy. Just when I thought Renjun and Jeno were cool._

“I need you to do me a favor, Jaemin. I know you’re a busy role model for the school, but if you could show the newest additions around and guide them through their schedules, that would be amazing.” 

“Of course, it would be no trouble at all! Consider it done!” Jaemin politely accepted and bowed once again. 

Principal Kang dismissed the boys and bid them farewell. Jaemin ushered his classmates towards the door, and before leaving, sent their head educator a polite grin with both his eyes and mouth. 

***

Jaemin followed the others into the secluded hallways. School had begun during the time Mark, Renjun, and Jeno were stuck inside Principal Kang’s office. It was safe to say no one was in a rush to class. 

Jaemin released both of his hands from his pockets and tugged at his uniform’s tie. As he loosened it, Mark had stood calm and collected, opposite to Jeno and Renjun. It was uncanny, Mark described. Renjun was someone who exerted confidence and arrogance at first glance and here he was, lacking those exact traits. Jeno was loud and friendly, yet he was silent and exemplified his shyness inside the principal’s office. 

Mark looked between the two, it seemed Jeno and Renjun were already communicating with one another, discussing who would speak up.

“You do it, you’re friendlier.” Renjun mouthed to Jeno. 

“Absolutely not, I’ll just embarrass myself. You do it. You’re better with your words.” Jeno mouthed back while pointing his finger accusingly to Renjun. 

“Annoying, isn’t he?” Jaemin said while folding the cuffs of his button up shirt.

Mark looked back, unaware of what Jaemin was referring to. Jeno and Renjun equally confused. 

“Principal Kang. He’s pretty fucking annoying, isn’t he?” He looked up at the others, flashing his perfect row of teeth and widening his eyes to show his amusement. 

“Is this a trick question?” Mark replied.

“No, not at all.” Jaemin roared with gasps of laughter. 

Na Jaemin sure is one strange fucker. Mark concluded. 

“Look, you can be honest. Even as student body president, I couldn’t give a shit about that bastard. He’s too full of himself and can get irritating as fuck. But you know, we must do what we need to do for show, right?”Jaemin chuckled, this time his right hand came to clutch the straps of his backpack, the other still located in his damn pockets. 

“Anyways, I guess this is the part where I show you around the school. Follow me and stay close, some people here aren’t as welcoming as I am. Some are rather enraged that you are all granted access to come here.” 

***

Mark couldn’t be bothered to listen to what Jaemin had to say about the school’s history and achievements. He dozed off somewhere between passing the school’s biology and chemistry labs. The last thing he could remember was faintly hearing Jaemin and Renjun gush over their favorite renaissance artist and Jaemin complimenting Jeno’s beauty mark underneath his eye. According to what Mark heard, Jaemin stated it was “beautiful”. _Talk about puking._

Don’t get Mark wrong, Jaemin was cool. Turned out, he also played for the school’s soccer team, something Mark was interested in trying out for. Jaemin was very much alike to what kind of guys he hung out with back in Canada. Maybe in time, if Jaemin continued being this carefree, Mark would easily consider him a close friend. 

But of course, that conversation was short lived as Jaemin returned his attention to Jeno and Renjun, not even hiding his clear interest between the two boys. He frequently flirted with each of them and made sure to compliment them both when he had a chance. Mark cringed at this. _Yea, it was definitely time to dip._

And that’s exactly what Mark did. He slipped away from the small group as they approached a corner to turn. He wasn’t ready to head to class just yet so he ventured out on his own. He viewed the school’s library and came across a nearby bathroom. The halls were empty, so Mark figured he’d be all alone. Maybe he’d be able squeeze a game of Fortnite on his phone before heading to his third period. 

As he entered, however, he was taken aback by someone arguing over the phone. Mark wasn’t nosy, but he was curious about what problems the rich had to possibly overcome.

“I refused it last time. I am too young to be stripped of my freedom. I haven’t even graduated yet and you want to send me away,” 

Mark inched closer to head the conversation clearer.

“You’re lucky that he and I are practically best friends… No, I won’t make a scene at the anniversary dinner later today, but after tonight, you are _not_ my _fucking_ mother.” The boy hung up and let out a sigh of frustration. 

_This is literally like those Kdramas my mom always forced me to watch when I was younger. Isn’t that hilarious._

“Excuse me?” 

Mark looked at the other, caught off guard by the sudden outburst. 

“Hey… I’m Mark Lee.” 

Mark looked at the boy closely. He was thin, tan, and around the same height as himself. His hair was colored light silver with undertones of light copper. His cat eyed like eyes narrowed at Mark.  
He turned around to fully face him and leaned on top of the sink for support. Mark would be lying if he denied he had an attraction toward the other male. 

“Okay.” The stranger deadpanned. 

“What’s your name?” 

“Why do you care?” 

“I don’t, it’s just the polite thing to ask when you meet someone new.” 

He scoffed and looked at Mark in disbelief.

“Donghyuck. My name’s Lee Donghyuck.” 

_So this beauty has a name._

“Donghyuck, what a beautiful name for a beautiful face.” Mark cooed. 

“I’m sorry, are you seriously flirting with me in a public bathroom right now?” 

“No, just stating the obvious. Unless you like it, then yea, I admit, I am flirting with you.” 

Donghyuck snorted, and crossed his arms. His chocolate brown eyes inspected Mark’s face. 

“I’ve never seen you here before. Are you, perhaps, new?” 

“Uh, yea, today’s my first day here actually.” 

“I see. Well, Mark Lee,” he started, forcing a smile. 

“I don’t know how much you heard of that, but I’d appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut. If you are even capable of doing so.” Donghyuck spat out. Smile now fully vanished. His eyes remained cold. 

Mark scoffed and laughed as he stared at the ceiling. _The audacity of this kid._

“Look, you may be hot, but that mouth of yours really holds you back. You know that?” 

“I don’t speak to please the irrelevant.” 

“Irrelevant? You don’t even know me.” Mark  
said in shock. _Was he being serious?_

“Exactly. And that’s the way it’ll stay.”

Mark, for some reason, felt bold enough to tread closer to Donghyuck’s body. If you ask anyone, they’d all say Mark was a mellow person. Life was too short to get riled up at everything and for that reason Mark always kept his composure and cool. It took a lot to get Mark furious, he was patient. But once you got on his bad side, it wasn’t a surprise in which things ultimately turned ugly. Angry Mark was just better left alone and put away. 

“What did you say to me?” Mark inched even closer. By this point he had trapped Donghyuck between himself and the sink. 

Donghyuck’s breath hitched, surprised at the sudden lack of distance. 

“I said exactly, and that’s the way it will stay.” Donghyuck repeated, this time in a softer tone.

Mark smirked at the sudden lack of confidence. 

“You know you’re very beautiful…” Mark started, resurrecting his gaze at the strands of Donghyuck’s hair, moving a strand of hair away from his face. He grabbed at his waist tightly with one hand, the other still entangled with Donghyuck’s coppered blonde locks. He could feel the other’s heart racing. Donghyuck shut his eyes tightly, prepared for an impact of a punch or slap at the very least. 

“...It’s too bad you’re a stick in the mud.” Mark seethed and gritted through his teeth, finally redirecting his eyes to focus on Donghyuck’s. 

Mark released the hold he had on Donghyuck and walked over to collect his long-forgotten bag from off the floor. He could see from his peripherals that the boy had been left dumbfounded and in an utter state of shock. 

Using the sink next to Donghyuck, Mark turned to look in the mirror. He checked his hair and tightened his tie as if nothing happened. Once he finished, he sent Donghyuck a taunting grin. As Mark strutted out of the boys bathroom he called out to the other in a menacing spirit. 

“It was a pleasure meeting you Lee Donghyuck.” 

_Now if I could just find a smoke and figure out where that Econ 101 class was at again..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like we're finally getting somewhere right? Theres way more to come. More drama, characters, and relationships. Get ready, cause it's gonna be a loooooong messy ride. period. Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, thoughts, criticism down below. I want to start responding to them soon!!! -m :-)
> 
> Lol can’t believe I used the uniforms from heirs as inspiration LMAOOOO


	3. You Make Me Feel In A Way I’ve Never Felt Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark meets ALL of the dreamies and a finds out a huge surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at updates Ik :( School is hitting me like a train. So many tests and assignments. I legit started this two weeks ago and have started writing little by little everyday. Maybe we can try again next time and update faster? Thanks for being patient with me <333 enjoy the drama!!! 
> 
> -m >:)

A high pitched bell reverberated through the boy’s restrooms, and in the process made Mark wince. He placed his wrists against his ears, a way to restrain the sound waves from abusing his sensitive eardrums, his cigarette still embraced by the warmth of tiny flames between his fingers. He could hear the sudden boisterous clashes of noise. He listened closely and carefully to the shuffling of feet, blur of conversations and the sound of the bathroom door knob begin to shake. 

Mark leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and grumbled. He brought the lighted cigarette to his mouth and took one final drag, puffs of white clouds of smoke releasing from his pursed lips into the atmosphere. He stood up from off the floor and collected his school bag. Mark opened a nearby stall and tossed the white stick into the toilet. 

He walked closer to the row of mirrors and rested the palms of his hands onto the edges of the marble sink. He fixed the flailing strands of his dark brown hair back into place and splashed water onto his face. Mark rubbed his eyes and took a good look at himself. His dark eyes were glassy, slightly agitated from the smoke that consumed his face hit after hit. He took a generous intake of oxygen through his nostrils and into is lungs. _Guess it’s time to head over to homeroom._He huffed out an annoyed breath and turned for the door, unlocking it slowly to minimize the loudness.

Mark peered his head out to check the status of the hallway. _Lonely._

Mark’s foot only went as far as two steps before he felt a firm grip on his shoulders. Instinctively, Mark grabbed at the unknown hand and tugged at it rather aggressively, the culprit groaning at the harshness. 

“What the fuck are you doing, Mark. Let go!” 

“Jaemin,” 

Mark released the boy’s arm in an instant and rolled his eyes. He raised his arms in question and brought them down at his sides. He shook his head bemused. 

“You can’t fucking sneak up on people like that. Are you insane?” Mark clicked his tongue. 

“Maybe just a little.” Jaemin snorted. 

The model student held onto his forearm with his contrasting arm. He massaged it hoping it would ease the temporary pain. 

“Where did you go off to? I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Not that I care about your whereabouts, but I’m really not looking forward to a lecture about already losing a student on their first day. Do me a favor and stop making it hard for me, ‘kay? Follow me.” 

Jaemin spun on his heels and began walking toward the west wing of the school, Mark followed behind with a respective distance. 

“I was in the bathroom” He blurted out, parking his hands within the pockets of his slacks. 

“Doing?” 

“Relieving stress.” 

“Stress? It’s your first day, what could you possibly be stressed about?” The silver haired boy questioned. 

“We all have our problems, Jaemin. Doesn’t matter what day it is.” 

“And how exactly is sneaking into a bathroom for three periods straight a stress reliever?” 

“My favorite pastime.” 

Jaemin raised an eyebrow in return. 

“Smoking. I was smoking.” 

“Are you trying to get expelled? It’s one thing for one of the local students that come from vast money to do it. They’re parents could easily sign a fast check to keep Principal Kang quiet. What do you have?” 

Jaemin stopped walking and stared at Mark. His eyes filled with sympathy. 

“I’m not trying to be a dick, but you should be more careful. You can have fun, but your luck will eventually run out with time. You really aren’t in any position to push the limits of this school. They’ll ruin you. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen before.” He warned worriedly.

Mark targeted his attention to lockers, they were a deep ocean blue color. He wondered just how much the school would go to torment him. Do they even have the right to do that? Mark was no longer a minor, so maybe it wouldn’t be an issue for them to get rid of him.

Mark couldn’t help but think if they would take it out on Renjun and Jeno as well. If Jaemin was as truthful as he seemed, Mark would watch himself. He was not selfish. It wasn’t fair to jeopardize someone else's future for the sake of finding a way to entertain himself and he understood that. He turned back to eye Jaemin. 

“Whatever you say, pres.” Mark replied calmly.

“Thank you.”

Jaemin proceeded to walk, Mark in tow. They came to a hasty stop when they faced a door decorated in warm colors of the summer. Hues of gold, burnt orange, and cherry reds painted over the glossed wood. 

Mark could have sworn he smelt a waft of mint chocolate in the air. Unknowingly, he brushed against Jaemin’s shoulder and sauntered over to navigate the origins of the sweet scent. 

Mark examined the structure of the classroom. Rectangular tables were positioned into rows and columns, only containing two seats per work surface. He could feel wandering eyes on him, running along his body from head to toe. Mark froze.

Jaemin, however, nonchalantly surpassed Mark and sent pleasant smiles to his classmates. The taller stopped when he neared a boy who possessed extremely narrowed, slanted eyes. _Eyes like a fox,_ Mark noted. His neck long, his hair painted a pale fragile pink, and his height standing impressively taller than Jaemin and Jeno. A small, silver hoop earring adorning his left ear. Unlike the rest of his peers, the boy had the top three buttons of his collared shirt left unrestrained, giving a free show of his eye catching collarbone and sternum. His tie was nowhere to be seen, but it wasn’t like he looked worried about it anyway. 

Jaemin greeted him politely and took the partner seat next to him. Mark overheard them discuss over the homework from the previous week. Jaemin asked the boy if he had completed the assignment, and if Mark saw correctly, the other shook his head and smirked. He replied with a no. Mark examined as he saw the other get up from his seat and walked over to greet, Mark assumed, his girlfriend. His guess proven correct when he saw them kiss.

“Mark! Over here!” 

Mark craned his neck toward over his shoulder to greet a perky Jeno and a serene Renjun. They were both already seated at a table only a few feet ahead of Jaemin and his seat partner. 

“I see that you already claimed your seats.” 

“We were actually hoping to find you sooner to work something out, but you just disappeared…” Jeno frowned, guilt imprinted within his tone. 

Renjun stared back at Mark. He pinched his nose and fanned the air with his right hand. He let out an exaggerated “woo”. 

“You reek of cigarettes.” 

“Don’t you think it’s a little too soon to be starting that, Mark?” Jeno gagged.

“You’re right,” He bowed dramatically.

“Forgive me for my lack of respect.” Mark stated sarcastically, earning a playful punch in the arm from Jeno and an irritated eye roll from Renjun.

Mark snickered and left to find a seat, however, as the clock continued to tick, most of the chairs were already filled by students who were engaged in gossip. 

_Great_

***

“You can sit here.” He heard someone say. 

Mark traded his attention to a the male that offered him an infectious grin, revealing a dimple on the right side of his cheek. He had pure black locks that were parted to the side. His eyebrows were thick and full. He had plump lips and a perfectly sharp sloped nose. Mark took in account to the long earring he wore, it was a golden cross. _It probably costs thousands._

Mark hesitated.

“My partner transferred to a different period last week, the seat’s yours if you’d like.” He stood from his seat and held his hand out. 

Mark raised his head to continue to hold eye contact, this guy was Mount Everest. He was at least six feet. Mark snapped out of it and returned the shake. He averted his gaze and took the seat next to the other. 

“I’ve never seen you around here before. Are you one of our new scholarship students?” 

“Yea, it’s actually my first day.” Mark explained quietly in a careless tone. 

“And how’s it going for you?” 

“It’s been alright, I guess,” 

“Trouble making friends?” 

Mark couldn’t help but let out a loud, obnoxious, suppressed laugh. 

“No that’s not it. It’s just been, so so. If you could understand that.” Mark made sure to clear up any confusion. The last thing he wanted was for someone to throw him a pity party. It was rather bothersome. 

“I can. I’m Yukhei, by the way. Wong Yukhei, but you can call me Lucas.” He exclaimed energetically. 

“Mark Lee.” 

“You play any sports? We’re recruiting for the basketball team, maybe you’d be interested?”

For the first time, Mark was attentive to what Lucas had to say. Growing up, basketball and soccer were two sports Mark passionately loved to play during his middle school and early high school years. It had been a while since he had last set foot on a court and field. He almost had forgotten what it felt like. A small part of him missed the competitiveness, the adrenaline, and the feeling of a well rewarding victory. He missed it all. The gold and the glory. 

“You know what…” He started

“I think I might just take you up on that offer.” Mark finished with a slight smile. 

“Sweet!” Lucas cheered. 

The late bell rang and Mark’s classmates ushered rapidly back to their seats. Class time went by very slow. Their teacher had written a set of equations for her students to practice as she walked around the room in any case that someone needed assistance. Mark and Lucas, however, used this time to goof off. They talked about sports, movies, and video games that had just hit the markets. 

So maybe there was more to Lucas then he led on. He had a similar sense of humor, same interests, and the same hobbies. If Mark hadn’t known any better, he would have considered Lucas a carbon copy of himself. 

“So, do you know who you’ll be sitting with during lunch?” 

“I hadn’t put much thought into it.” Mark shrugged. 

“You should join me, I could introduce you to some friends of mine. I think they’d like you.” 

“Yea, sure, man…” 

Mark bit his bottom lip for a split second and remembered about his newly made friends. He spared a look over to Jeno, then to Renjun. They seemed to be enjoying themselves just as much Mark was. He returned his eyes to Lucas and opened his mouth to speak.

“Is it okay if my other friends join us, too? I don’t want to abandon them on the first day. That would be kind of shitty.” 

Lucas eyes lolled to the two other boys across the room as Mark referred to them and nodded in approval, answering shortly with a “Yea, that’s fine, dude.” 

Mark had encountered many occasions where sleep had a chance to take and claim him for herself, yet he continued to force himself awake. His shoulders were hunched and he slouched even more, his arms were crossed and leaned against his chest. His eyes began to droop once more. It was safe to say, Mark was pretty fucking bored. The last time he checked in with his homeroom teacher was during the note-taking portion of the class. Apparently they were discussing limits and derivatives, _or whatever that means._ Lucas was immersed in his own thoughts, but had gotten nowhere due to his superior social caliber. The boy frequently put a stop to his work to engage in pointless side conversations. 

It remained like this for another ten minutes until there was a prominent sounding thud at the door.  
Mark startledly trained his eyes at his teacher. As she opened the door, she spoke to the person on the other side in a concealed manner. She stood there speaking and listening for another good thirty seconds before motioning to the individual, a simple gesture implying they could enter the classroom. 

Mark initially started at the bottom of the boy’s physique. Going unnoticed, his heart rate began to convulse gradually as he rose his eyes higher and higher, finally reaching the boy’s face. Mark unintentionally had dug his fingernails into the blazer covering his biceps and tightened his grip over his crossed arms. His shoulders no where near relaxed anymore, but tense. His jaw clenched and locked. Of course this would happen. Only Mark had shit luck like this. He would have Lee Donghyuck in his homeroom. 

The entire class directed their attention to the front of the room to see the cause of disruption. Mark narrowed his eyes at Donghyuck. Surprisingly, even in the limelight, the smaller remained unbothered. 

Donghyuck looked at Mark’s table in a familiarized routinely way. He noticed that the boy was sparing a look at his new seat mate. His eyes placed on Lucas for a day’s while before settling and moving onto Mark. With this, Mark noticed a short wave of shock in the others stare. His eyes widened, probably stunned at the inconvenient circumstance. However, the speck of surprise was gone as fast as it came. Donghyuck then narrowed his eyes back at Mark and handed him cunning sneer. 

He gracefully walked over to an empty seat occupied only by, Mark guessed again, his regular seat mate who had vibrant orange fire embered hair. He was on the fair side and had striking, sharp cheekbones. He had full lips and piercing monolids. He saw the stranger greet Donghyuck and offer him his notes. 

Mark tried to guide his attention back to his work for the next fifteen minutes, each time failing as he heard Donghyuck’s horrible jokes and his orange haired friend’s laugh that resembled a dolphin. Mark squeezed his pencil even tighter after every occurence. 

He couldn’t help, but stare at Donghyuck. He calculated the way he used different colored pens to differentiate the different key concepts. Mark took in account to the way Donghyuck held a steady beat as he tapped his nice dress shoes. He even noticed the way the boy would pout his lips at his friend whenever he had trouble solving something. 

As if on cue, Donghyuck looked upwards to meet Mark’s gaze. They stayed like that for a while. Waiting for someone to blink to crown a loser. Donghyuck finally lost, as it was quite evident he had lost interest with their lame excuse of an interaction and presented his right hand to raise his middle finger, Mark eyes still burning from his intense glare and from the sheer rage of being disrespected. It wasn’t until his pencil snapped into two, that Mark noticed he was crushing the life out of it. He flared his nostrils angrily and cleared his throat. 

“What time does lunch start again, Lucas?”

***

Renjun and Jeno were playfully arguing when Mark slammed his fist onto their table, gaining attention from the remaining students who were still left in the classroom. He asked Lucas to meet him by the cafeteria’s entrance as the bell had rang a few minutes prior to Mark approaching his friends in hostility. Mark spilt a quick apology and turned back to look at his puzzled company. 

“You good?” Renjun asked he began to pack his journal into his book bag. 

“Of course, just fucking peachy.” 

“I’m lost, what’s up with you?” Jeno piped up with furrowed eyebrows. 

“Long story short, when I ditched you guys earlier, I had an altercation with this jackass who apparently shares this class with us.” 

“Oh. My. God. Spill, who is it.” 

“An alteration?” 

Jeno and Renjun both replied swiftly at the same time. 

“It’s the guy that walked in late. He was rude to me for no reason because I overheard him taking an irrelevant call or some shit like that. Completely entitled.” 

“Sounds like a nightmare, don’t you think, Renjun?” The platinum blonde sighed. 

“Agreed. It sounds like he’s completely mannerless. There’s no point in wasting your breath and attention on someone incompetent like that, Mark.” 

“I know, it’s just very… difficult.” 

Mark waited patiently until both Jeno and Renjun were finished packing, before introducing them to Lucas. 

As they finally reached the location of the cafeteria, Lucas had approached a table that was already preoccupied by three boys. Renjun, Jeno, and Mark all followed behind the tallest and one by one, claimed a seat. 

“Guys, say hello to…” Lucas trailed off for the other boys to introduce themselves. 

“Mark Lee.” Mark offered casually.

“Huang Renjun.” He said while bowing his head slightly, politely.

“Lee Jeno!” Jeno voiced enthusiastically while waving his arms to greet the others.

Lucas explained to his friends that they were the chosen scholarship students and they all seemed to know what the other was talking about. As they waited for the lunch line to calm down, Mark learned the names of the boys on the other side of the round table. 

They were all Chinese natives, just like Lucas, however, Liu Yang Yang explained how had lived in Germany for some time. He showed off some of his fluency in German and Mark was amazed. He was loud and despite being the youngest, messed with Lucas, calling him an “old man” every five minutes. Maybe, in Korea, it would be considered disrespectful to speak casual to your elders, but Yang Yang always did it out of genuine endearment for the other. Mark remembered Yang Yang mention he was apart of the school’s dance team along with Hendery. 

Wong Kunhang, or Hendery, as he preferred to be called, reminded Mark of those foreign models you’d see in the front covers of Vogue magazine. He had striking features. The boy was elegantly handsome which completely contrasted to his upbeat outlandish energy. Mark could pinpoint this all throughout lunch, the way he messed around with Lucas and Yang Yang. How he would start random conversations with Dejun when he felt the other wasn’t contributing much to the conversation as much as he’d like to hear from his friend. Hendery made sure to make everyone feel included. 

Xiao Dejun was a little more reserved and quiet compared to the others. However, Mark noticed that he was quick to warm up after a few exchanges of quick conversations. He noticed the subtle laughs and remarks the other would make when any of the other boys made a joke or bad puns. Apparently, Dejun was pretty involved. He was a member of the school’s top tier choir and played the guitar and piano for the jazz band. The others praised him endlessly about his beautiful voice and how someday he’d make it big in the industry. Mark hadn’t witnessed his potential, but Dejun offered Jeno, Renjun, and Mark to swing by a choir concert sometime to listen to him sing. 

At the corner of his eye, Mark detected a certain pop of orange. He turned to observe the boy at the other lunch table and continued to graze over the others sitting. He spotted Jaemin and the orange haired boy amidst what looked like a serious conversation. It came to a short halt, however, as he saw Donghyuck head back to the table, a red tray of food in his hands. 

“What are we staring at?” Jeno asked curiously.

Lucas, Renjun, Dejun, Hendery, and Yang Yang traded their attention to Mark and Jeno. 

“Who is he? The one with orange hair?” 

“Oh, that’s Zhong Chenle, he’s old money. The Zhong dynasty comes from a long lineage of wealth. His ancestors and his parents worked in telecommunications. They own multiple buildings named the Zhong Group Communications here, China, and other countries overseas. They also dabble in the work of culinary and restaurant management, owning a couple of local high end restaurants here in Seoul. He’s a junior, has a tight group of friends. Now that I think about it, I only ever see him hang around the Student Council members, a few exceptions here and there? He’s like rank two in his class or something like, I think.” Hendery explained and tapped his chin in wonder.

Mark nodded as he absorbed the new information and continued to stare at the table.

“What about Jaemin?” Renjun asked. 

“Na Jaemin. Son of Na Jaesuk. He comes from an impressive family of the most highest paid and respected politicians, lawyers, and doctors. His father is a politician himself. He was the Director of Economic Development Department for a while. Seoul is holding re-elections soon for City Mayor, Jaemin’s dad is a strong contender in the running. It’s only a matter of time before he wins the election and goes into an even higher position in legislature. Maybe you’ve seen some of his campaigns?” Dejun asked.

“The future Mayor of Seoul and his pristine Student Body President child. Like father like son. Jaemin lives to please his dad, since it’s really all the family he has left. His mom is unknown, she left when he was only a toddler. Rumor has it, she was having an affair.” 

“Yang Yang, you can’t just put people’s personal business out like that!” Dejun scolded the other disappointingly. He heard an insincere apology from the youngest moments later. 

“What about him?” Jeno lifted a finger to point at Donghyuck who was now wiping the corners of his mouth with some handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. 

“Ah yes, our very own Lee Donghyuck.” 

Lucas softly elbowed Yang Yang’s side before sparing him a warning glare. This might be the first time Mark had seen Lucas look serious. 

“His parents own a chain of hospitals globally. The Lee & Humanitarian Hospital is a famous one due to its locations and services. Typically found in famous cities or capitals. They also own medical centers and clinics that offer certain therapy practices that aren’t typically offered anywhere else which makes their business even more superior to other hospitals. He’s also our Senior Class salutatorian and Vice President. Practically golden boy number two after Jaemin.” Yang Yang said in one breath. 

“Isn’t he a choir and theater kid too, Lucas?” Hendery asked.

“Yea, he’s pretty involved, I’d say.” Lucas replied scrambling his food, obviously bothered by something. 

As lunch went on, Renjun and Jeno curiously asked about the boy’s family backgrounds. Hendery and Dejun parents were partners of the Xiao and Wong Group Bank. Yang Yang’s parents lied their investments within the oil industry, naming their very own oil company Liu Oil Industries and Co.. Lucas’ parents owned a handful of car dealerships and motor sport companies named Wong Enterprises and Automotive. 

Mark was completely zoned out of the conversation until he overheard Hendery lean over and whisper to Lucas. 

“Are you gonna go greet him? He’s been gone all week. I know this isn’t how he wants to spend his first day back from France. He’s your best friend, Lucas, for fuck’s sake.” 

Lucas slammed a fist on the cafeteria table and silenced the conversations between Dejun, Yang Yang, Jeno, and Renjun. 

“I know that, damn it!” 

Lucas took a deep breath and sighed.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to blow up like that. I’m just stressed, is all.” 

“Is it about your engagement?” Dejun cautiously slipped out. 

In return, Lucas hesitantly nodded and landed a pat on the back from Yang Yang. Mark met eyes with Jeno and Renjun who were equally lost. 

“You’re getting married?” Jeno shyly.

“Right after graduation, yes.” Lucas responded tensely. 

“I don’t mean to pry, but is she that bad to be around?” Renjun stated softly. 

“It isn’t that. He is lovely. It wasn’t voluntary, it’s an arranged marriage. It’s not horrible since he’s my best friend, but it was very instantaneous and I feel completely blindsided by the whole thing and I’m sure he does as well.” 

“Who’s your fiancée?” 

Maybe it wasn’t any of Mark’s business, but he was well aware that this wasn’t just any marriage. It was a fight for power and a way to ensure their status for many generations to come. This is the way the wealthy worked. They’d do anything to remain at the top, even if it meant sacrificing their children’s happiness. Mark was starting to learn this hour by the hour, and soon, day by day. To say Mark wasn’t at least intrigued by it all was completely false. 

“Lee Donghyuck.” 

_Oh._

Everyone’s attention fell upon the boy with tan skin, dark honey blonde hair, and full pinkish lips. Mark connected his vision along with Donghyuck, who, prior to making eye contact, already had been staring at Mark’s back. He wore a blank expression and rubbed at his ring finger on his left hand. At first glance, Mark could see the gleam from the pure silver wedding band embraced around his finger.

He stared for a few more seconds before turning to look back at Lucas, this time persistently searching for his hand, which lo and behold, wore an identical wedding band. Lucas continued to hold his gaze at Donghyuck. Mark joined once more, the pair still in the midst of their intense eye contact. The tan boy’s eyes flickered to Mark before standing up and strolling out of the cafeteria. 

Lucas abruptly stood up right after as he tried to tail after his fiancée.

“I’ll be right back.” 

Mark slid up from his seat and headed toward the exit. For some odd reason, Mark had been compelled to seek out the couple. Sure, it wasn’t in his place to intervene in matters he knew nothing about, but he couldn’t help it. He was drawn in. Maybe it was the fact that he’d pay hundreds of bucks to see Donghyuck get a taste of his own medicine. Was that so bad? 

He looked left and right and spotted Lucas in the distance, his back becoming less and less visible as he continued to walk the halls at an urgent pace in search of Donghyuck. Mark thought to himself. Where would he go if he was livid over an arranged marriage. _Perfect. _

***

_Bingo._

Mark treaded closer to the sounds of heavy breathing echoing. He saw the panicked expression the other wore as his hands trembled ferociously. He saw Donghyuck desperately dig in the departments from his backpack. He fished out a container of pills from an orange container and shoved the dosage into his mouth. Mark kept quiet for a few seconds debating whether he should speak up. There wasn’t a need, however, as Donghyuck sensed a pair of eyes watching him. He turned and swiftly rubbed his eyes and the light snot from underneath his flared nostrils with the arms of his jacket. His face was deadly pale with splotches of red kissing his cheek bones. 

“Are you stalking me?” Donghyuck said exasperated.

“Wouldn’t you like that.” Mark teased.

“Are you alright?” Mark asked concerned realizing it wasn’t the appropriate time to make jokes. 

Donghyuck stared him down for a few seconds. He looked furious, but his eyes showed otherwise. Through deep brown eyes, Mark saw the vulnerability and fear that overflowed onto his displeased face. There was consistent small beads of sweat forming at his hairline and some falling from his temple down to his neck. His chest continued to heave lightly. Mark observed the grip Donghyuck had on the sink’s edges, his white palms on display. 

“I’m fine, just please, do me a favor and get lost.” Donghyuck pleaded breathily and rasp.

“You are obviously not okay. I’m not just gonna leave you here all alone. You look like shit.” 

“I’m sorry, what is it that you want exactly? Does this make you fucking happy? Seeing me like this? This way? Is it hilarious? Because if so, I don’t need your fucking pity.” 

Mark closed a small distance in between the both of them and placed his hand inside of his blazer pocket. 

“Pity? No, I’m not here to pity you, but I do know a way to calm those nerves.” 

He pulled out a tiny clear baggy that concealed a few grams of marijuana. Donghyuck sent an unsure look, initially uncomfortable with the suggestion. 

“You don’t have to, you know… I’m not an ass, I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I don’t want you to feel pressured.” Mark cleared up. 

Donghyuck eyed the content and then back at Mark, slowly take the bag and walking over to the bathroom door to lock it. 

***

The two boys sat against the tiled wall where Mark had spent his entire morning avoiding classes. He spent a few minutes teaching Donghyuck to how to properly inhale and exhale the contents. Mark grabbed his water bottle from his bag as soon as Donghyuck had swallowed the smoke accidentally instead of releasing it out.  
He choked and coughed out erratically. 

“My throat’s burning.” Donghyuck gasped out as he gripped at his own neck. 

“I know, I know. You’re only supposed to inhale it, hold it for a couple of seconds, and then exhale, Jesus.” Mark explained calmly. 

“Just relax.” Mark said as the blonde chugged the water. 

They attempted again and again, until Donghyuck got the hang of it. They traded off the blunt back and forth in silence. Maybe just maybe, the prissy boy he had met earlier wasn’t so prissy after all. Mark sighed and brought his knees to his chest. 

“So you and Lucas…” 

He saw the other boy wince at the name.

“You guys… actually getting, you know, married?” 

“It wasn’t my choice, neither his.” 

“But does it bother you?” 

“It isn’t Lucas that bothers me. He’s my bestest friend. We’ve been together since childhood, but like I said, he’s my best friend. The issue is not him, but within the decision itself. I don’t have a say.” 

“They can’t just do that, your parents, it’s not fair for them to do that.” Mark repeated profusely. 

Donghyuck laughed at this. Mark looked at him offended and surprised. 

“They can and they did.” He slurred, his high kicking in. 

“How does Lucas feel about this?” 

“Lucas… he’s stressed. We both are. I made it clear, however, that we don’t have to actually be in a relationship. He can go on and do whatever he likes with whoever he likes up until we get married.” Donghyuck explained and giggled lightly. 

“Why do you care so much, anyways?” 

“I don’t.” Mark replied nonchalantly as he released the mouthful of smoke from his lips. 

“But you do. Why else would you have followed me?” 

“What makes you think I followed you? Can’t a guy just take a piss?” 

“Then why not use the nearest restroom by the cafeteria?” 

“They weren’t really my taste. This one has nicer decor.” 

Donghyuck snorted and opened cross crossed his legs.

“Do you know why I like this bathroom?” 

Mark remained silent waiting for an answer as he stared at the others delicate bone structure. 

“It’s very quiet, not many people use it because it’s at the back of the school. It’s by the library, which makes it quiet. It’s peaceful.” 

Mark nodded as he followed Donghyuck’s line of reasoning. He would never admit it, but he preferred this side of Donghyuck. The more open, calm, and gentle Donghyuck. It suited him a lot more than any other version could.

“You know, I think I like this side of you better.” 

“This side of me? You don’t even know-“ 

“You? I don’t even know you? You’re right, I don't. I don’t know you and you don’t know me, and it seems like _that’s the way it’s gonna stay._Right?” Mark repeated the same words Donghyuck had said earlier to him. He saw the way the others body tensed up at the saying. He remembered as well. _Was it guilt he felt, possibly?_

“I should go.” 

Donghyuck stood where he once sat and dusted off the dirt from his slacks. He turned back at Mark as he collected his things. It seemed he had trouble contemplating what to say next. Was he uncomfortable? Mark didn’t know, but by the way his posture and demeanor had changed in seconds, it was apparent that that might’ve been it.

“You don’t have to say anything. Know one has to know. It’ll be our little secret, what do you say? We can just forget this ever happened.” Mark said cooly.

Donghyuck only stared at him uncertain, but nodded anyways as he collected his belongings. He heard the other slip out a quick thank you before heading a click from the door. 

Mark had spent another ten minutes hibernating in the bathroom, no longer smoking, but thinking. Was it something he had done, maybe said? He himself didn’t think it would drive the other away. Maybe there was something Donghyuck wasn’t telling him? Or maybe he was just embarrassed? Mark didn’t know. 

As Mark left the bathroom he felt someone’s presence. He stopped in his footsteps and stood still for a few seconds before hearing a deep voice call out to him. 

“Your first day and you’ve already courted the unattainable Lee Donghyuck? I must say, you have guts, I’ll give you that. I give you props, Mark, is it?”

Mark turned to match the voice with a face. It came from the boy from his homeroom. Jaemin’s seat partner, the boy with fox eyes and frail copper pink hair. Mark stared at his hoop earring and the way he still had his collar undone. He wasn’t sure what to make out of him. 

“Yes, it’s Mark and you are?” 

“Park Jisung,” He simpered 

“A friend of everyone, including Lucas. Don’t worry, I won’t tell him you’re seeing his fiancée. After all, I wouldn’t want to ruin your image. It’s only your first day. We all want things we can’t have, am I right?” He said as he flourished a smirk. 

“I guess?”

“Have fun with him while you can, after all, after graduation he’ll be a married man. You wouldn’t want to hurt the feelings of our dear Lucas, right?” He stated warningly. 

“Right.” Mark clenched his teeth as he saw the other let out a satisfied smile. He was sure Jisung was threatening him. He knew exactly what he was doing. Mark hated feeling played with, but just this once, he’d bite his tongue for the sake of Renjun and Jeno. 

“I guess I’ll see you later, Mark?” Jisung said before receiving a “yes” in return from Mark. He strutted his way back to the cafeteria, obviously pleased with himself. 

If Donghyuck managed to get underneath his skin, Jisung was an epidemic waiting to plague his whole existence. Mark could sense a premonition on the rise, it was only a matter of time before the unpleasant feeling at the pit of his stomach would make sense.

***

“Wait, what? He actually said that to you?” Jeno whispered. 

When Mark came back to join the rest of his newly made friends at their table he, noticed Donghyuck was seated back with Jaemin and Chenle, this time, Lucas occupying the seat next to him. Yang Yang had asked where he went and Dejun nudged at him telling him to stop being so nosy, leaving Hendery to laugh at the interaction. Mark has made up a lie about getting lost and they all seemed to buy it. However, he decided to get input about the incident with Jisung. 

“The guy sounds like a maniac. Who says that to people they don’t even know?” Renjun questioned in disgust. 

“Not sure, but it almost felt like a threat.” 

“He was definitely threatening you, Mark” Jeno agreed. 

Renjun turned to the rest of the table and caught the attention of the remaining half. 

“What do you know about Park Jisung?” Renjun asked seriously.

“Jisung? The junior? Has pinkish hair? Boyfriend to Shin Yuna?” Dejun asked.

“That’s the one” Mark confirmed. 

“Park Jisung, sort of bad news? He’s kind of an asshole. He’s been with Shin Yuna since the eighth grade, they’re currently juniors. He’s apart of the soccer team. Jisung’s always hanging around Jaemin, Hyunjin and his group of friends, and Lucas. His dad owns a few casinos and strip clubs around here in Korea and in America. I heard he recently bought a chain of casinos in Vegas. Must’ve cost millions, billions even. Anyways, Lucas always gets us into the biggest parties and clubs through Jisung. We try to stay on his good side. Why, what’s up?” Hendery said, tasing his eyebrows at Mark.

“I met him not too long ago, he gave this, um, negative vibe. I thought I should get to know about him first before I made any assumptions” Mark partially lied. 

Hendery nodded in acknowledgment and went back to continue his conversation about some show with the table. Mark looked over to Jaemin’s table and ran his eyes to the boy he had gotten high with a little over thirty minutes ago. He spotted Donghyuck engaged in a conversation with Lucas. Mark continued to stare until their eyes met. They looked at each other for a while, not one of them moving. 

Mark could feel the intensifying burning feeling return in his stomach, this time, however, it wasn’t filled with negativity, but with butterflies. For the first time, Mark felt butterflies and he was sure by the stare Donghyuck offered him, he felt it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tea is hot and relationships finna skyrocket. Or so we think. Idk, I’m gonna try to start writing in diff perspectives from other side characters, but every chap will have mainly markhyuck. If you’re not into that, you can skip over it and I’ll usually summarize what happened w them in the endnotes so you at least know what’s going on with them because REMEMBER, each couples storylines are intertwined within eachother. So please give it a try, maybe? Anyways see y’all soon :)))) 
> 
> -m


	4. I See Some Things You Might Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and his new knit of buddies go to a strip club, while Donghyuck and Chenle discuss important matters. Mark still struggles to figure Donghyuck out, but he seeks to find answers soon, even if it may cost him everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been gone for like a solid 3 weeks? I just want to apologize because I feel like I say i'll update more often, but then that becomes a lie lol. If im being honest, there are times where i do feel discouraged as a writer because I feel like my writing isn't up to par compared to other authors. Another thing is that, since it is moving kind of slow, I feel tinges of discourage to even introduce the rest of Dream's plotlines without being judged, but then I remember, it's MY story, so I'll do what I want lmao. I have a lot planned for this story, and I just hope that you can also be, again, patient with me. I say that a lot, but I mean it. This is my first time doing something like this, so if some scenes are eh, just know it's not my best work, I try hard to implement my ideas through the screen, but sometimes, things just don't reflect like how I want them too? Anyways, I wont say anything else, but i'm thinking of listing songs that help me write for certain scenes. Idk if ya'll interested in that, but I'm gonna list them anyways: (change of scenes indicate ***)  
(1) IDK- The Neighbourhood  
(2) Clout- Offset  
(3) Highest In the Room- Travis Scott  
(4) Broken- Lund  
(5) Daddy Issues- The Neighbourhood (slowed)
> 
> Alright enjoy! 
> 
> btw theres probably a LOT of grammatical errors, but it's like 2 am and im like dead and stuff, so yea, again, enjoy lol.
> 
> -m >:D

A week had passed since Mark last spoke to Donghyuck. They often exchanged gazes, but nothing more than a glare of guilty familiarity was granted. Mark had caught him in the halls and in homeroom, usually making an effort to at least cough out a subtle ‘hello’, but Donghyuck, in return, always hastily rushed out of the room or completely ignored him. Was it something he had done? He vaguely remembered their small accord back in the restrooms, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be civil. Mark could convince himself endlessly that the other’s curt need to avoid him didn’t sting, but could he at least realize the reason why he cared so much? That department he lacked. Lee Donghyuck was an enigma. A code Mark wanted to crack. A mystery he wanted to solve. A drug he so desperately wanted to try. 

Mark was captivated. _What exactly goes on in that head of yours, Lee Donghyuck?_

“What are you thinking about?” 

Mark angled his neck to meet the eyes of Lucas. He looked at Mark curiously as he lightly tapped his refined cut nails against his cheek, his elbow propping his head up. 

“Huh?” 

“You’ve just been sitting there staring at the board while we’ve been taking notes. You got something on your mind?” 

Mark let out an embarrassed smile, and brought his fingers up to the corners of his mouth to clean any possible drool. He spared a quick look over to Donghyuck. The loud boy was preoccupied with homework from another class. He watched how he swung his pencil back and forth as he squinted at the paper before him. Mark fixated his attention on Donghyuck for a few seconds longer before moving to Chenle. He was playing a game on his phone, probably finished with the math assignment as well. Mark spared a split second of his attention onwards to Jaemin. It was apparent he was engrossed in a flirty conversation with two female students seated at a nearby table. 

Mark finally landed onto Jisung who had purposely locked eyes with him immediately. _Was he watching him this whole time?_

Jisung had a lollipop sealed between his lips and his arm around Jaemin’s empty seat. His feet were propped up against the surface of the table and his head tilted to the side. There was an amused smirk plastered on his face and a glint of mischief in his eyes. He raised his hands to rub his right index finger against the other, the gesture meaning “for shame” as he shook his head disapprovingly. He laughed at Mark and donated a sinister wink. Jisung was absolutely fucking with him, and Mark was sure of this. 

“Your friend, Jisung…he’s a bit too much, don’t you think?” 

Lucas quirked a brow, confused at the sudden accusation. “What do you mean, exactly?” 

“He’s been staring at me. We spoke the other day, but it wasn’t so pleasant. I just figured you’d know what his deal is.” 

“Don’t let him get to you, that’s just how he’s always been. Straight forward, but he means well. Well… _most_ of the time. Is that what’s got you all caught up? I can speak with him if you’d like-“

“No it’s fine. That’s not it. It was just a question.” Mark reassured briskly.

He recentered his attention to the calculus equations printed before him. Silence consumed both Lucas and Mark. Without a word being said, it was easy for Mark’s thoughts overtake him. Seriously, what was Park Jisung’s issue? Could it be that he thoroughly enjoyed watching Mark squirm? Was it a kink of his? And even if it was, didn’t he have a girlfriend? Or maybe he secretly had this harboring unrequited love for Donghyuck. Was this the reason Jisung put so much effort in giving Mark a hard time? Was he jealous by association? He remained still, going back and forth pondering before, once again, rotating his body to Lucas. 

“Have you ever gotten the feeling that you're being avoided by someone?”

“Trouble in paradise? Who’s the girl? Or guy, if you also swing that way.” Lucas mused, his focus still aligned with the worksheet. 

“He’s very, weird. One minute he’s tolerable and then the next he’s all pissy. I’m just confused where we stand, y’know?” 

“Totally get it, but you know what I think you need? A casual hookup. When was the last time you got laid, Mark?” 

Mark chokes at this and rolls his eyes at Lucas’s ridiculous suggestion. He makes sure to lightly hit the taller’s bicep. Lucas groans at the sudden blow and applies pressure to soothe the pain withering at his arm.

“What I’m serious, you seem like you have all this stress pent up, what better way to get it out of your system in the most natural, harmless way?” He gasped out. 

“I think that’s a great idea, fellas. And I know exactly how.” 

Mark and Lucas’ eyes meet with Jisung and Jaemin who now stood in front of them, uninvited and intrigued with the content of the private conversation. 

“May we?” Jaemin announces while flashing a radiant grin as brightly as he always does. Not waiting for a response Jisung grabs a chair from an empty table and Jaemin follows suit, taking a seat to face Mark and Lucas from the opposite side of the table. 

“What’s this getting laid all about?” Jisung asked in a pseudo-curious tone that makes Mark cringe and clench his teeth.

“Mark’s having boy problems, so I suggested he get laid to ease his worries.” Lucas explained proudly and Jaemin snorts. 

“Already have an eye for someone? Who is it?” 

“No one you know, Jaemin.” Mark clicks his tongue agitated. Although it may never have been Jaemin’s intention to attack Mark, deep within the depths of his gut he felt like it was. Mark knows this was exactly what Jisung wants. He wants to watch him squirm. He wants Mark to submit.

“Our Jaemin knows everyone. So why don’t you lay it on us. Who knows, Lucas may even know him too.” Jisung cleverly remarks smugly.

Mark balls his fists, lightly creating crescents against the skin of his palms. _Stay calm, stay calm_. He takes a long intake of air through his nostrils. If Jisung thought he could make a joke out of Mark, then he must be completely mistaken. 

“What is that you wanted again?” Mark seethes.

“Some of my boy’s and I are going to a strip club tonight, part of the soccer team will be there. Lucas, if you want to invite your friends, go ahead. What about you, Mark? You in?” Jisung asks, never forgetting to poke fun at Mark. 

Before Mark can decline, however, Lucas wraps an arm around his shoulder and shakes him lightly, a wide dimpled smile in tact. 

“Of course he’s in!” 

“Great, so it’s settled then. I guess we’ll see you guys there? Wear something nice, Mark, yeah?” Jisung winked again and left without another word. Jaemin however stays for another minute to ask Mark a question. 

“Hey, Mark, could you also invite Jeno and Renjun for me?” 

“I’m not particularly sure that’s it’s their type of scene, but I’ll ask.” 

“Thanks. See you guys later tonight then?” Jaemin asks, standing up to pat Mark on the shoulder as he walks away and goes back to take his seat next to Jisung.

Mark nudged at Lucas’ rib cage. What was he thinking? A strip club? _Are you kidding?_ What was he supposed to tell his grandma. Lie again? Mark was in no mood to tamper his relationship with his grandparents. His connection with his parents remained dead and was only slightly revived through the daily messages his mom and dad sent to check up on him. 

“Are you sure that’s a good a good idea? How are we even supposed to get in?” 

“The guy’s Park Jisung. If anyone can get us in, it’s him. His dad owns a good amount of them, remember? You worry too much, Mark.”

As he should. Sure, Mark didn’t mind being a nuisance to his parents, but his grandparents are the last people who deserve his bullshit. They were kind and they cared for him. They sincerely cared for him and to Mark, that was enough. 

“I'm not sure about this.” 

Lucas drops his pencil and shifts in his seat until he finds a comfortable position where he and Mark are no longer islands away. He stares, but there’s a different aura that surrounds his broad shoulders and perfectly sculpted face. His eyes are no longer cheerful but instead are gentle. “I’m sorry, dude. I just want to make sure you feel included. You’re a cool guy and we’re bros now and all that shit, right? I’m just looking out for you.” 

Mark never believed in best friends. Sure he had close friends, but never _best friends_. He never considered Daniel one and they had hung out frequently. Despite this, Mark was still never fond of the term ‘best friend’. He had no interest in it. He entered each and every relationship with no commitment to continue. Mark decided early on that going with the flow was simply easier. No labels was easier, effortless. It was his ideal situation. However, something about Lucas made Mark think more optimistically.

“You know what, count me in.” 

***

It was half past nine when Lucas and their shared group of friends arrived at Mark’s grandparent’s home. He could faintly hear his grandmother offer refreshments to their temporary guests. Seeing this as motivation to quickly get dressed, he climbs down from his bed and onto the wooden floor. Mark settles with a simple white tee, black jeans with slits birthed at his knees, and a black leather jacket paired with his thin chain sitting at the surface of his shirt. 

Mark stumbles around his room as he tries to regain enough balance to tie his black Old Skool Vans before he finally makes sure he has his phone, wallet, and charger secured in the pockets of his jacket. He stops before the mirror to style his bronze locks up and away from his face and parts it to the side. Before he exits his bedroom, he injects a long, thin silver earring at the bottom of his left ear and stops to decorate the helix portion of his ear with a silver hoop. 

When he finally greets the guys, he bids his farewells to his grandparents, promising to text them when they reach Lucas’ place to ‘hangout’ and ‘spend the night’. Mark almost feels horrible about the continuous lying but is reminded of the ongoing frustrations from throughout the week. He thinks of how much of an asshole Jisung is, to the English homework he forgot to turn in the previous day, to Donghyuck. 

He still doesn’t understand what he’s done wrong.

Lucas drives a Bugatti Chiron and Mark can feel his inner car expertise jump out as both boys engage in a conversation regarding the luxurious automobile. Yang Yang pokes fun at Lucas’ attire and issues him a vexatious grin. Apparently Lucas is ‘too elderly to be wearing a red denim jacket over a white supreme hoodie.’ Mark struggles to hold his laughter in when Yang Yang whines at the slap imprinted on his neck by the hand of Dejun and Hendery belts out an unruly hyena laughter. The car ride to the strip club is anything but silent. Lucas offers Mark the front seat and Hendery settles in between Yang Yang and Dejun in the back. His arms familiarly elongate over both the shoulders of both boys settled on either side of him. Mark’s temple brushes up against the car window and drifts into a light slumber listening to Lucas’, according to Yang Yang, ‘shitty rap music’.

Mark jolts awake at a sudden grip at his shoulder. 

“You ready to get fucked up?” Lucas inquired merrily.

Mark utters a quick ‘not necessarily’ under his breath but nevertheless, gets out of the car confidently. He refuses to let anyone see him cower. Mark Lee never turns down a good time. Mark Lee is fully capable of getting lost in the seas of fun and desire. He proves this to the remaining company by swaggering over to front entrance. As he strides forward he takes the scenery in. The letters above the building are embraced in white hues with undertones of angel blues. It glows ferociously in contrast to the darkness in the sky. He reads the lettering slowly, it spells out the word ‘ONYX’, ‘Gentlemen's Club’ directly hung brightly underneath the neon lights. On either side of the building, the same colors of blues intertwine with magenta and violet streams arising from the ground. Mark, to say the least, is astonished at the sight.

The group of underage boys approach the bouncer, and it is Hendery and Lucas that initiate the conversation first. The bouncer is buff, tall, and stone faced. Mark feels a bubble of uneasiness mold along the walls of his stomach as he takes notice of the long line they skip over. Some faces do not shy to express their enragement, others are confused. His mouth becomes dry and his heart rate increases with each step closer. Mark feels apprehensive and anxious at the displeased face of the well-built man, however, the feeling vanishes as Hendery points to an arrangement of names against the papers kept together by a black clipboard. The older man nods and grabs at the red velvet rope, a signal to Mark that all is well.

Yang Yang pats him on the back as they enter through the double doors and Mark relaxes.

“You see someone you like, it’s on me. I’ll pay. Remember, _everyone has a price_.” 

***

On the dance floor, there are many men and women dancing obscenely. There is grinding and excessive jumping. The DJ’s strobe lights exert an array of the same color palette from outside. Magenta, Violet, and Angel Blue, Mark repeats over and over again. These are the colors that illuminate the walls of chaotic beauty. A thick haze clouds Mark’s senses, both from the smoke machines and the cigars of clients and club goers. His eardrums tingle at the deafening bass from the music that encircles the building. It’s a Travis Scott song. Mark bobs his head to the lyrics as he walks with Lucas’ entourage. 

Mark gazes at the scandalous sight. Men who have relieved of their work coats and ties are distributed at different tables. Mark takes the time to notice the way many of the old men flair their wealth to the club. It is a competition of power and authority, money is their weapon. There is an abundance of dollar bills messily scattered all over the floor. He sees at the corner of his eye the way each dancer’s eyes gleam at such a circumstance, it is almost the same shining gleam that equates to the wedding bands Mark manages to pinpoint off of one too many old businessmen.

His eyes wander over to the women on separate stages and table tops in the middle of performances. Their anatomy at full exposure leaving little to the imagination. Their bodies decorated in tight bikinis and lingerie. Mark fixates at the embroidered costumes. He admires the lace, sheer, and sparkling mesh. They compliment the smooth skin the dancers have to offer. The pole work is sophisticated in technique and is visually appealing to the naked eye. 

Mark is approached by many dancers offering him a dance and sessions of strip teases, however, it is Dejun that takes a hold of his hand and drags him away from any pleasurable distractions. Mark can’t help but feel lost. _Wasn’t this what they were here for?_

Mark is sure that Dejun can feel his hand hold a few shots of restraint. He furrows his full brows in confusion and stares at Mark.

“Where are we heading?” 

Dejun leans closer to Mark’s ear and Mark shivers at the loud capacity Dejun wields. 

“There’s a lounge for private parties for VIPs. The rest of the guys are there. Let’s go.” 

Mark, this time, voluntarily reciprocates the tightening grasp Dejun has to offer. Yang Yang makes a quick phone call while Lucas and Hendery spark a low conversation. There’s a boy Mark recognizes quickly. _Hyun…hyun… jin? Hyunjin? Hwang Hyunjin?_

Hyunjin greets Yang Yang comfortably and indulges in an a wave of embraces. He opens the entrance into the secluded lounge and Mark tails after Dejun. Hyunjin nods at him approvingly while acknowledging his existence and Mark follows the others.

The lounge sheds more light than the front of the club, but is still dimly lit. Mark quickly takes notice of Jisung who is busy speaking to some of the boys from the soccer team. Mark scans the rest of the room and finally spots Jaemin sandwiched in between two dancers who cling at his biceps and shoulders. Jaemin wears a black sleeveless tank top that accentuates his toned arms and his silver hair is lifted away from his face in a messy fashion. _Maybe he’s chosen to grow it out._

Mark bites back any noise that threatens to emerge from his throat as he witnesses only seconds later the person he aligns with the epitome of perfection allocate tiny grains of white into lines against the coffee table. One of the girls giggle and kiss at his collar bones and the other rubs his thigh while he steadily takes out a hundred dollar bill from his wallet and rolls it into a thin cylinder straw. He is released from the constraints of the two entertainers as he crouches down and places the bill against the smooth surface of marble. He inhales a sharp stream of oxygen through his nostril with the help of the money straw, fluidly moving from left to right. The streak of cocaine is withdrawn and is consumed into the very body of human magnificence, Na Jaemin. 

Jaemin shakes his head lightly and brings the back of his hand to wipe any remains of white powder that could possibly linger behind before he tosses the, now crumpled, money into the wastebasket. Mark, taken aback by this, accidentally bumps into a nearby vase, shattering it to pieces and garners the attention of everyone in the process. He spills a quick apology and everyone continues participating in their disrupted affairs. Jisung is the first to saunter over to Mark with a knowing smirk. 

“Glad you could make it. Thought you chickened out.” 

“Who? Our Mark? No way. You doubt him too much.” Hendery says goofily as he drapes an arm around the shoulder blades of Mark.

Jisung laughs at this and for the first time, there isn’t an underlying condescending spice to it. Jaemin appears from behind Jisung’s tall frame and robustly champions the group into a bear hug. Mark considers his actions to be too cheerful and erratic, but not in the usual, poise manner Jaemin excretes. 

“Mark, when did you get here?” He asks energetically, but hoarsely.

“Just now.” Dejun answers for him. 

Mark takes a closer look at Jaemin. Dark circles are entrenched underneath his eyes, a sign of lack of sleep. He’s on the paler side of the spectrum and his pupils are dark and dilated. Mark almost feels pity for the damage Jaemin is committing to his youth, but is pulled away from such thoughts by a warm invitation to join him (jaemin) on the couch. 

“Sit. I’ll prepare you a line.” Jaemin says as another bill arises in his possession. 

However, Mark remains frozen with their shared group of friends and whispers in disbelief, “Since when does Jaemin snort cocaine?” 

“He wasn’t always like this, he started way back during his sophomore year. The guy does any drug that can bring him happiness. LSD, shrooms, weed, ecstasy…xanax.” Jisung recounted while peering at the flying ribbons of an indistinct violet tinge bounce off of the ceiling, dancing along the elegant white walls.

“The guy’s a mess. We staged this intervention for him last year, but he went completely ballistic. Once he’s started, it’s hard to get him to stop. We all may be close friends, but we think it has to do with his family. Maybe his dad, maybe his mom, we don’t know. He just... never wants to talk about it. I guess this is sort of his outlet.” Lucas uttered sadly and defeated. 

“We let him be. He has the leisure to do so, anyways. But… we try to monitor his intake. Recently it’s just gotten worse, but he’s completely harmless when we check him.” Hendery says as he walks off in the direction Jaemin has taken off to. 

They all look at Jaemin, then to Yang Yang who comes to light, casually, out of nowhere and blows a strong gust of wind toward the line of cocaine that eventually falls onto the floor. Mark cringes at the situation and expects the worse to commence. Jaemin is indeed furious at this, and runs a hand through his tangled locks. However, he stands up immediately and storms out angrily, taking the nearest path to the restrooms. 

“You see, harmless,” Hendery phrases with a satisfied smile pressing a glass of alcohol to his lips.

Jisung joins him at his side, nails a wicked smirk, and cups his two hands around his mouth. 

“Boys, the night is still young. Bring in the dancers. Our new addition, Mark, will receive the first dance of the night.”

He raises an arm in the direction of the lounge entrance and clutches at the bottle of hard alcohol. 

“Let the fun begin.”

***

“Hyuck, would you stop studying for once?” 

Donghyuck sighs defeated and closes his psychology textbook. He gets up and treads to sit by the bay window’s alcove. It’s currently eleven, the sun has long subdued under the moon’s shining dominance, and the stars begin to glisten so brightly against the oceans of darkness from the night’s sky. He examines the vines that grow along the lattice and wonders why he feels unexpected waves of sorrow grow gradually as the week progresses. Chenle takes notice at the way Donghyuck stares at the garden below, to the way he longingly looks to the moon for guidance, and the way his eyes no longer shimmer like they once did back when they were underclassmen. _A lot has changed since then_, he thinks. 

“What’s wrong?” Chenle travels to settle on the remaining left over space next to Donghyuck. He catches the way Donghyuck stiffens at the closeness and waits silently until the other finally acknowledges the question. 

“It’s nothing, it’s just the same old, same old. School, grades, parents. I’ll feel better tomorrow, I promise. Don’t worry about it.” He reassures, but Chenle has heard this excuse way too many times for his liking. He places his hand over Donghyuck’s and offers a sympathetic smile. He knows not to press too much. He knows, from past experiences, not to cross his boundaries. He knows.

Donghyuck has never excelled in explaining how he feels, what he feels, and if he feels anything at all. However, it’s apparent something has him stressed and flustered. Chenle doesn’t want to assume, but he’s sure he knows the answer. Even while kids, Chenle can see there’s something eating away at his best friend. Or more like, _someone_.

“Is it Lucas?” 

“No.”

“Don’t lie to me, Hyuck. I’m serious, what’s wrong?” 

“Am I living for myself? Or for my parents? And if it’s the latter, am I even succeeding at that? It’s as if… my efforts, my hard work, my goals… it’ll have meant nothing once I walk down the aisle. Lucas doesn’t even want this. I don’t want this. Yet, we do what we can to please the people we care about the most. Do you think they even care about how I feel?”

Chenle isn’t sure how to respond, but instead squeezes Donghyuck’s hand and pulls him into a tight, lasting hug. Donghyuck appreciates the sudden envelope of warmth. He feels drained and drowsy. At any minute, sleep might selfishly take him if he holds on any longer. 

“You’re doing great and I, for one, am proud of you. You’re efforts will not go unnoticed, Hyuck. As long as I’m still here, you won’t ever have to worry. You know I’m _always_ here, _always proud of you_.” Chenle muffles into Donghyuck’s shoulder, making sure to emphasize the last part before ruffling the dirty blonde hairs on his head. 

Donghyuck whines and scolds his best friend for the damage he’s done to his ‘hairdo’ and pushes him onto the floor. Chenle yelps at the harshness of the unexpected impact. He curses at Donghyuck, and, in response, a pillow is aimed at his head. He quickly dodges the attack and sticks his tongue out. Donghyuck rolls his eyes and lands on the edge of his bed tiredly. The day has been eventful, and the week has been unkind. 

Donghyuck feels his eyelids droop and become heavier until he hears Chenle scoff and sit up.

“What? What is it.” 

“Have you seen Sunwoo’s Snapchat’s story?” 

“Kim Sunwoo? The wannabe trapper? The one that hangs around Ji Changmin? The kid who smokes with Nancy 24/7?” Donghyuck lists unimpressed.

“Isn’t his mom, like, an actual drug lord…Anyways, that’s not the point. Look!” 

Chenle shoves the phone screen in his face and clicks on the username ‘daddysunwoo00’. Donghyuck sees videos of boys from his school huddled in a dark room. He can’t clearly see what’s going on until he hears Sunwoo and the group of boys start to cheer. The video pans to a dancer performing a strip tease in front of a male client. Donghyuck can’t identify the face due to the crowd of heads,blocking the view but then hears Sunwoo yell loud and clear from behind the camera, “My boy, Mark, getting some tonight!” 

The video ends abruptly and switches to a timed picture where Donghyuck can make out familiar faces. He sees Lucas with a stripper planted on his lap sitting on a velvet couch, Jaemin who has a drink in his hand and an arm around another dancer’s waist, and Sunwoo with two unknown girls clinging on either side of his arms. Yang Yang, Hendery, Dejun, and Jisung are playing a game of pool laughing in the background, and at the corner he sees the way Mark and the unknown dancer engage in an open mouthed kiss, bodies pressed tightly against one another. ‘Boys night out’, Donghyuck reads the caption aloud.

There’s a knot that forms at the pit of Donghyuck’s stomach, and although he chooses to ignore it, his face betrays him, contracting a frown at the compilation of pictures and videos. He wonders why he feels a small jab at his heart and a tinge of hurt in his pride. Throughout the week, he’s chosen to ignore Mark. Maybe by avoiding him, the other would understand that whatever interactions they’ve had could be forgotten and put passed them. But Donghyuck is no fool. He notices the way Mark always stares at him when he enters homeroom. He notices the way he can sometimes see Mark’s hand twitch to wave ‘hello’ in the halls. He sees how Mark, after every failed attempt, has tried to speak to him after the end of every class throughout the week. He sees everything, but chooses to ignore it all. 

Donghyuck is comfortable with his friends, his family, and his family’s dog. Mark Lee was never apart of the picture, so why does it (kind of) hurt to see him like this? Donghyuck doesn’t verbalize it, buries the thought instead, and conceals any emotion that menaces to spread. _It’s easier this way… for everyone_, he thinks. Like Holden Caulfield once said, “Don’t tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” So Donghyuck says nothing. He refuses to feel anything. He refuses to admit everything. 

“He’s kind of cute, don’t you think? The exchange student.” Chenle points out, eyes still glued to the screen of his phone.

“Which one? The one who joined the school’s orchestra and baseball team? Mark Lee? Or the other one who recently joined Student Council and Student Ambassadors?"

“Mark Lee.” 

“Are you kidding? He looks like an alien.” Donghyuck snorts.

“You can’t deny that he's a handsome alien. Seriously, I’m not sure if you’ve taken a good look at him, but he’s not bad at all. I’m not surprised he’s had girls confess their feelings for him this week.” Chenle discloses as he continues to look at other Snapchat stories. 

Donghyuck is shocked at the statement that pours from Chenle’s lips. He can only imagine the ego that has begun to formulate in Mark’s head. It’s been only a little over a week since Donghyuck had gotten high with Mark in the boys bathroom, but he could vividly recall the way he looked at him with concerned, tender eyes. Was the boy he saw in the video the same boy who helped calm him down? Was this the same Mark who had cornered him in the bathrooms the first time they met? Who was he exactly? 

“Did he accept any of them?” 

“From what I’ve heard, no, but I can’t be too sure. Why?”

“It’s just a question.” 

“Right, well you know what I think you need? A party! It’s only eleven and it’s Friday, so can we please do something for once, and study later?” Chenle pleads and pouts, batting his eyelashes innocently. He blows his orange locks away from his face, disappointed at the current circumstance the two are in. 

Donghyuck finally gives in after thirty minutes of Chenle’s complaining before searching for a nearby party. Chenle is the first to spot an ongoing kickback at a classmate's house and jumps excitedly. 

“Shin Ryujin’s place. Now. Let’s go, we’re heading to my house to change.” 

It isn’t until their halfway to the party when Lucas texts Donghyuck asking ‘what’s he up to’. Donghyuck is impressed Lucas can still text while being completely wasted. He sends a quick message before placing his phone into his jean’s pocket. Donghyuck lowers the window and extends his arm to feel the drifts of wind blow gracefully against his hand. He leans his head back to rest on the car’s seat, gazes at the twinkling building lights and sighs at the sight. It’s a beautiful thing, really, the way they shine effortlessly, and he thinks that someday, when he chooses to be honest with himself, maybe he too can shine as brightly as they do.

***

donghyuck: none of ur business :)))

lucas: don’t be like that :/ wyd? 

donghyuck: ur so annoying, heading to a party omfg -.-

lucas: where at?

donghyuck: ryujins place.

lucas: ok, ill b there in half an hour 

donghyuck: whatever loser

Mark is fooling around with a random dancer when he takes into account the way Lucas has been staring at his phone for so long. He wants to laugh at how slowly his fingers navigate across the keyboard of his cellphone. Mark lightly shoves the blonde dancer off of his lap and stumbles as he slowly walks over to his good friend. The vodka and whiskey have long taken over his system and he tries his best to not knock over another vase. 

Mark can feel the alcohol swish in his stomach. He feels the blood rush to his face as he slowly loses and regains balance with every step forward. He can feel the warmth of his poison sizzle within his insides. He can feel the heat circulate his cheeks, painting them a bright pink. His vision is slightly blurred, but not by much. Even with mistaken sight, he witnesses the way Lucas smiles sincerely at the small screen before quickly placing it inside the compartments of his coat. Mark’s eyes do not deceive him. Not even for a second.

“You heading out?”

Lucas is taken aback by the presence of Mark, but replies with a long awaited nod. Mark plops down onto the leftover cushion of the loveseat and leans his head against the frame of the wood. He releases a tired sigh. He’s had no time to himself, no time to properly think, no time to rationalize his decisions. His bones feel loose and hollow. His mouth tastes bitter and his head pounds and pounds and...

“Yea, Donghyuck’s currently at a nearby party with Chenle. I think I might crash for a couple of hours. Keep my fiancee company for a little while, y’know?”

Mark’s eyes flutter open at the mention of the tan boy and twitch in discomfort at the word fiancée. He’s not sure if Lucas catches him, but if he does, he says nothing. Mark can only nod at this. No, he doesn’t know. 

Lucas stands up and motions for Mark to follow. They walk over to an isolated corner of the lounge and join their remaining group of friends who are in the middle of a game of pool. By the looks of it, it seems that Hendery is winning. Lucas is the first to announce his leave and where he’s heading. He invites them to join him and in unison Dejun and Yang Yang stare at each other and shrug before placing their cue sticks down and Hendery reaches across the table to gather the striped pool balls to organize them back into their rack. Jaemin and Jisung are nearby, continuing their conversation while passing along a cigarette. They take a few more drags before tossing the cigarette bud into a random glass.

Dejun offers to drive them to the house party while claiming he’s only had a couple of drinks. Everyone complies and Jisung offers to drive Jaemin in his car.

“Fuck, you’re telling me I have to come back here tomorrow morning to pick up my car?”

“Yeah yeah yeah, should’ve thought about that before getting all doped up, Jaemin.” Jisung says antagonistically while dragging him through the front doors of the club and safely strapping a seatbelt over his body.

Mark chuckles at the camaraderie between both Jaemin and Jisung. He admires the way Jisung, although being an ass most of the time, takes care of Jaemin when he’s a complete mess and the way Jaemin looks out for Jisung’s best interest, when sober, of course. Mark wonders if they consider each other family. Possibly even brothers?

Lucas, Hendery, and Yang Yang cram back into the back of Lucas’ car. Mark situates himself at the passenger’s side and Dejun slides into the driver’s seat enthusiastically. He starts the car up and grips at the steering wheel until his knuckles color white. 

Dejun makes sure to plug in his seat belt and fix the car’s mirrors. When he notices Mark’s warily eyes, he shrugs and says, “What, I’ve always wanted to drive this car.”

“How far away is it?”

Mark retrieves the address from a semi-passed out Lucas and types the location into Google Maps. 

“The fastest route says thirty minutes away.” Mark informs as he stares at his phone lazily.

Dejun begins to pull out from the parking lot and waits for Jisung’s car to latch behind him. He continues to fix the rearview mirrors until he’s confident they’re exactly in the correct position.

“No worries, I can get us there fifteen.”

***

Ryujin’s house is an enormous traditional two story home. A three tier water fountain is located at the center of the large front lawn. Mark notices small rose bushes that entangle themselves along the plots of soil spread against the anterior of the classically white house, it’s too bad the landscaping is entirely trashed once Dejun and Jisung arrive. There are red plastic cups sprawled all over the small garden and sleeping near the wheels of party goer’s cars. The neighborhood is blocked off and backed up by floods of vehicles. Mark recognizes some of his classmates hanging outside on the grand stair entryway, some hang by the front gate and chat, others step further into the shadows casted beneath the shade of the leaves that cling to dear life against the extended branches. Mark observes the group and raises his eyes to meet a pair of similar dark brown ones. 

They’re doe-eyed and stoic. Mark has never seen such wide eyes before. He stares longer and can see the innocence that coil around the dark orbs. He treads closer to get a better look and can faintly pick out the dark caramel colored brown strands of hair that curl at the ends, to the way they fall just at the ribcage. She wears a white strapless mini dress that firmly molds around her curvy figure. Mark is hooked to the diamond choker she wears around her neck. He watches the way she bashfully retreats her eyes and lifts them upward to a few of her friends. She blinks rapidly and brings a wine glass to her glossed lips before returning to the whispers of conversations between a group of girls.

“She’s gorgeous isn’t she?”

Mark is unphased by Jisung’s appearance as he continues to stare unashamedly at the way the girl covers her delicate fingers to suppress the soft giggles. _Indeed, she is gorgeous_. Mark is sure by now that the group of girls have also caught him staring, and they make sure to let Mark and the unknown girl know just how pretty she is, as one of them takes her by the arm and twirls her in circles to show her off. Mark lip’s twitch at this, _so pretty_.

“Who is she?” He asks, finally looking away to face Jisung’s side profile.

“Chou Tzuyu, a senior that transferred over from Taiwan during my sophomore year and the guys’ junior year. As you can see, she’s settled in quite nicely,”

Jisung takes a long gulp of alcohol and downs it with a sour face. “Anyways, whatever it is your thinking, I’m here to let you know it won’t work.”

“She’s taken?” Mark inquiries.

“No, but she has high standards, ones that you don’t meet in the slightest. Now that I think about it, do you have some sort of knack for things you can’t have. I thought you’d stop after Donghyuck, but wow, Mark, this is just hilarious at this point.” 

He isn’t sure why he feels his blood boil at the mention of the name that always manages to leave him out of breath, but he slaps the drink from Jisung’s hold and grits his teeth together, “Fuck off, Jisung. Don’t you have a girlfriend to tend to? Or do you also have a knack for being a shitty partner. Lucas explained to me that you were needed somewhere else tonight, although that hasn’t stopped you, seeing as you’re still here.”

Jisung is enraged by this and grabs Mark by the collar, closely examining Mark’s face carefully. This is what he wants. Jisung’s the toy, the manipulated pawn. Mark echoes a ‘go ahead’ tauntingly and drags the corner of his lips upward complacently, satisfied. He has him right where he wants him. Jisung is stunned, and tightly keeps a firm hold at the edges of the collar for a little longer, before releasing Mark and storming off. Mark is almost sure he can hear the angry trail footsteps Jisung leaves behind. 

Hendery and Jaemin glance in their direction confused. Mark simply shrugs idly and joins the circle of boys who share two dab pens. One belongs to Jaemin, the other to Yang Yang. Lucas passes him the small pen after taking one giant hit that, in result, has him gripping at his chest, coughing disorderly. Mark comfortably pats him on the back and helps him regain his natural rhythm of breaths. Yang Yang hysterically laughs and Hendery seems to be in his own world as he pushes on the button to sip a generous amount of weed. He holds it in his mouth and cups Dejun’s cheeks with his right hand, forcing his mouth open as he slides the smoke into the other’s mouth.

If he had felt happy before, Mark was fucking ecstatic. He was over the moon just after three long draws. Puffs and puffs of white clouds are produced and surround the small group. Jaemin also seems to be completely gone, but unlike the rest, he doesn’t laugh, or giggle. He stares blankly, there’s a thin sheen of paranoia frolicked over his intense eyes. He no longer looks like himself, his hair is dishevelled, and his mouth holds ajar. Dejun asks if he’s alright, and Jaemin nods so slow, it reminds Mark of his pet turtle he once had when he was nine years old. _Man, did he miss that bastard_. 

At this point, Mark is more than one hundred percent sure his friends are all cross faded. He doesn’t know when Jaemin and Yang Yang had already walked away and entered the house, but Lucas also slips away to converse with a stranger he’s never met before. Dejun and Hendery have walked off to who knows where and Mark stands alone in the middle of the street. He shifts around in the gravel before pulling his eyes shut and tilts his neck back, raising his arms upward, extending them at full capacity to feel all that mother nature has to offer. He could sleep like this. A car could hit him any second if he’s not careful, but Mark is way too at peace with himself, spiritually, to move. 

He listens to the background music that blares inside of the home of his classmate, he hears the croaks from frogs and the buzzing noises of insects. He hears the wind vigorously carry the leaves in full throttle, fall is finally here. 

It may be the alcohol or maybe it’s the weed, but Mark can hear faint footsteps against the grass, until he doesn’t. They say your senses can heighten once another is taken away. He isn’t sure how it exactly works while under the influence or if it even applies, but he knows someone’s watching him. Mark can feel it, and he shivers. 

He waits for a few more seconds and latches his eyes open. Just as he suspects, there is someone who has been watching him intently on the porch. Mark doesn’t cower, however, he examines and studies such a _beautiful_ face. Feline eyes, sharp cheekbones, a perfectly sloped nose, and plump lips that Mark desires, wants, _needs_ to taste. _Wait, what_.

Even from many feet away, Mark can see that Donghyuck has a glint of disappointment in his tired eyes. He’s tired, but why? Did someone hurt him? And even if someone did, why did Mark feel the need to protect him from any danger? And Mark retracts. Why, just why, did he finally have to acknowledge the small ache in his heart? Mark’s afraid. Mark is terrified, so he eliminates any ideas that try to recur over and over again. He chooses to explain his emotions by justifying it as pity and sympathy. _It’s nothing more than simple pity_, he assures himself. Or maybe it's just the weed and alcohol mistaking it for something more. 

He sees Donghyuck swiftly turn back on his heels and slowly paces toward the house. Mark can feel his legs instinctively follow after him, quickening with each step to catch up. And because Mark feels the sudden rush of adrenaline kick in, he paces faster and faster as he races to catch his prey. 

He refuses to blink. He knows once he does, Donghyuck will be gone. And like he hears Jisung’s voice echoed in the back of his head, deep in his subconscious thoughts, Mark does want what he can’t have. And what he can’t have, has him crawling at the ridges of his own self restraint, until there’s nothing else left to grip. He knows he‘a falling in the pits of temptation, sin, and lust, and yet, he doesn’t dare to stop. Mark doesn't believe that he can. He's a fool. A fool like many men who have waged wars during their long reins to ensure their power and authority. And he wants, like a small child in a candy store. He wants and wants and wants. And because Mark is also stubborn, he refuses to give up until he’s pleased with his outcome and receives what he longs for. 

He gets it from his father, he thinks. And Mark remembers the way his mother despised it. He recollects the way his father sat him down, a few weeks before his parents announced their divorce. They spoke for a while that night, about everything. Mark was too young to understand back then, but he knows why his father had taken the time to discuss the crumbling relationship between two partners. He spoke about the way the dynamic of a relationship can evolve for the best and for the worst and how little by little, you sometimes start to question all variables that come with maintaining a healthy relationship. Trust, loyalty, honesty.

You become _curious_. And doubtful. And insecure. But if there’s anything Mark grasped from that night, was the phrase his father whispered in his ear, _curiosity killed the cat_. And it wasn’t until Mark, on his sixteenth birthday, put piece by piece, that it was his father’s heart that was ripped to pieces that day. The curiosity his father held over his mother’s loyalty. The infidelity that killed the love between his parents. And it all started with a small speculation his father made when his mother slowly stopped wearing her wedding ring. A small speculation that robbed Mark of a fulfilling childhood.

Mark wonders if he’s the cat, rampaging and motivated for answers. _Curiosity killed the cat_, he repeats meekly, and he knows all too well that nothing good ever comes from uncovering and pressing for answers without any consequences and the burdens that will eventually keep him on edge, having him claw at his sanity. But Mark presses on, knowing he’s prone to getting burned eventually. 

_Just what could Lee Donghyuck be hiding?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOOO, yea Mark's mom cheated and Jaemin's a lowkey drug addict behind the golden boy facade :////, but whats newwwww. I kind of ingrained part of Jaemin's issue in this chapter (drug abuse) and enclosed some background info in ch.3 about his mom leaving him as a child and stuff, but as we uncover his background, you guys will figure out why he does what he does :(((( Like, seriously, Daddy Issues by The Neighbourhood becomes both Jaemin and Jisung's theme song/anthems (wink wink) LOL im giving so much away, but whatever.
> 
> Just to clarify Jisung is NOT the enemy, he's just misunderstood, but, like Jaemin, has a lot more going on behind the scenes then he lets on. I mean you could say that about all the characters story lines. Like a.e Donghyuck. Yea , he has great parents, but he obviously struggles with anxiety and frequent panic attacks. (Idk, he lowkey shows symptoms of depression) But like Jisung and Jaemin, tries to hide it, but Mark finds him at his most vulnerable state a lot in the beginning of their relationship, although, that's just a few times, because we all see the bad bitch energy Hyuck radiates, like in ch.2. Renjun, Jeno, and Chenle's plotlines haven't even been introduced yet, but it will come soon.
> 
> Anways I noticed that this fic is lacking smut, so ill attempt it next chapter, BUT it wont be Markhyuck sadly :( they're slow burn. It wont be chensung either lol. So there goes your hint hint lol. Ya'll got an idea? I'll be introducing chensungs meeting next chap, hopefully, and no(ren)min too. FINGERS CROSSED. I also incorporated some of donghyuck's pov this chap. Im pretty sure I'll be introducing others pov's as we go on. But yes, please leave comments, suggestions, criticism, you name it!!! I want to get better at updating, but senior year is lowkey ass? BUT AT LEAST im making all A's in my AP and Dual Credit classes. I hope you all have a great week and I plan to see everyone soon in the next update. (I will try akeke) 
> 
> \- m :)
> 
> p.s. spooky season is here, so expect a spooky update soon within the next (maybe) two chapters? LOL

**Author's Note:**

> <3


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